Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Introducing Gizmo

On Saturday morning, I went out to tend to the chickens and got quite a surprise. Just as I was opening the door to Ellie's brooder area, I saw a tiny kitten bolt out the door and run for the carport. I was pretty stunned, wondering if I really saw what I thought I saw. As I was trying to process it, I saw the kitten sprint back into the run and land in a five gallon bucket turned on its side. I was able to grab the bucket with the kitten still inside and bring him (or her, not totally sure) up to the house for inspection.


Just the other day I was telling David that I was getting the itch for a new kitten or puppy, and this little guy magically lands in my chicken coop! I've also spotted another kitten hanging around the coop area over the past few days. I can't get to it, but I have been feeding it and the kitten is slowly warming up to me. Sadly, I think these babies were most likely dumped on my county road. Unfortunately I've seen it happen before and the lack of personal responsibility just astounds me. Whatever happened in their past history, they somehow made their way to me and I am thankful for that.

I figured the little guy was probably hungry, so I gave him a small container of wet food and he gobbled it down. I knew I couldn't leave him outside, so I brought him into our guest bathroom to stay until we figured out what to do with him.


He was so scared at first; hissing and scratching at me if I tried to come near him. For a tiny little kitten, he was actually quite scary and intimidating! But I knew once I worked my cat magic on him that wouldn't last for long. David jokes that I am the cat whisperer because any cat I meet seems to quickly warm up to me. I think I must have been a cat in a past life or something! I went slow at first, but before I knew it the little guy was purring loudly in my lap and following me everywhere I went. The first time David played with him, he called him Gizmo and the name stuck.



We are keeping him away from our other indoor cats right now because Fitz doesn't like him at all and Jasper seems to be bothered by his presence. David wants to make him an outdoor cat once he is bigger, but I really want to keep him inside. We'll see what happens :)


Have you ever had any animals show up on your doorstep?

~Tammy

Shared with Tuesday Muse, Down Home Blog HopFrom The Farm Blog Hop   

70 comments:

  1. Those eyes!!!! Those ears!!! The name seems like a perfect fit!

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  2. Awww...look how cute he is!!! All my critters have chosen me, not the other way around. I swear that I would take no more in and even promised my hubby...then Roo wandered into the yard and well, you know what happened! :)
    Farmhouse hugs,
    Cindy

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  3. What a cutie! Out of our 3 barn cats, two of them adopted us. One male cat(Fluffy Newspaper, the biggest cat I have ever seen) found us in Arkansas while we were still in our rental looking for our farm and the other (Peter, who despite being a girl is still named Peter)showed up on our doorstep about 2-3 months after we have moved in. While we tried to get Peter to go away (ok, I tried, my cat lady husband snuck her food on the sly), she wouldn't go, kept breaking into our garage to sleep and to be honest, quickly worked her way into our hearts. Thankfully, with 3 indoor cats and 3 outdoor cats, I think I can keep the cat lady happy at least for now. Love Gizmo's name!

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  4. Aw I love that he found you guys, what a lucky kitty he is and I love his name too, so cute!

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  5. Oh my goodness...he is adorable. This was meant to be. I expect he will remain indoors and become on of your most treasured cats. It might be best to introduce him while he is still small so he is not a threat to the others. Take baby steps and it will all work out. So happy he found you. I hope you do get the other kitten. I hate to think of them outside alone at that age. Hugs

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  6. sadly, the way of the country is to dump animals. glad this little one found you! such a cute little bright-eyed kitten!

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  7. THOSE EYES! Oh my gosh, I love him. He totally looks like a Gizmo, too :)

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  8. What a sweet baby. Yes, the best cat I've ever made her(pregnant)self at home on our porch. She lived to be about 15 years old.

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  9. Oh Tammy it sounds to me like David and you have been adopted:) I Love Gizmo he is such an adorable tiny thing.
    We live in the country and we have had dogs,and cats dropped off all the time it makes me so angry people do not think.
    Gizmo is a lucky kitty to find your loving home. B

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  10. Oh Tammy... Such a cutie and such a lucky little kitten to find you. It saddens me when people aren't responsible with regards to their pets. At least this kitty had a good home:)

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  11. He is so scrummy! Every cat we've ever had has either shown up or been rescued so I've never owned a kitten. I wish a UK Gizmo would turn up in my chicken coop :)
    Janie x

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  12. When I lived on the farm, when I was young, we lived right next to a main highway. We used to get up to 30 cats a year dropped off. Most of them stayed and I had to shoot them. If I would not have shot them they would start attaching us for food, which some of them did. I'm sure a lot of that sort of thing goes on these days as well. We only got about 3 or 4 dogs a year that were abandon on the side of the road. We kept some of them and they made the best dogs.

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  13. He's a very lucky kitten to have been found by you. It's terrible that people abandon animals. Many years ago I found a cat on my doorstep, with her name and phone number on her collar, we still fed her! Then rang the owners who came and got her. A few days later she was back without the collar. We tried to ignore her hoping she would go back home, or her owners would come back to find her. But in the end her perseverance won us over, and she was such a lovely wee cat. We didn't even change her name!! S:)

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  14. What a cutie!
    Somehow I get the feeling he'll become an indoor cat. :D x

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  15. Gizmo is adorable!!!! God knew what that little kitty needed........very lucky kitty indeed....:)))) Can't wait to see Gizmo adventures....kittens are so entertaining!

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  16. How lucky little Gizmo is that your home is where s/he was dumped. I don't think s/he is a feral kitten because my friend has anywhere from 25-50 around her place at any given time. Dumped kitties are scared like little Gizmo was of you, but quickly warm up to a loving person. But feral kittens do not, unless you get them in the very tiny window of time when their eyes are just opening, not too many days before, and not too many after.

    I have 3 previously feral kittens who are turning 1 year old this week. I found them in the rain abandoned by their mama when they were in that crucial window of time. They are all 'normal' cats now, but their siblings that we were not able to collect were totally wild by the time they were the age of your little kitten. Only one of the others has survived to the age of 1 year. Sadly, even though my friend traps, spay or neuters, and releases and continues to supplement their food, they do not live a fraction of the live-span of a home loved kitty.

    So your little Gizmo is soooo lucky to have found you!

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  17. Kittens are so irresistible and this one is lovely!

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  18. You have taken such adorable pictures of little Gizmo. The one of him standing and crying and the last picture with his huge eyes!! Such an adorable little creature and such a luckly little creature to have found you!! Hope his/her sibling will be as lucky!!

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  19. So sweet! And so sad! Yes, I live in the country at the end of a dirt road down near the river. So nearly all my cats are strays. I have adopted them all, some I re-homed and others I kept. Some were just too wild to domesticate, but I fed them anyway. I am always disgusted with the lack of responsibility people have towards animals. Spaying and Neutering is so important. I always, always spay and neuter, even the strays. It is a small expense compared to the suffering that abandoned animals share. It's my way of doing my part in the grand scheme of things. Good for you! I like hearing stories like this. You are a kind soul, Tammy. xo

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  20. Adorable! SO glad they happened upon your home :) I think it is quite common that people dump their unwanted animals in the country...a very sad thing.

    Good luck mixing with your other little fur babies, Gizmo is simply adorable.

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  21. Tammy, your Gizmo is a real cutie! Adorable photos of your new furbaby.

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  22. Oh he is so adorable!! It just seems like when you live out in the country animals just show up!

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  23. Oh how cute. I could never resist a face that sweet.

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  24. Gizmo is so adorable! I am so happy when you share a new picture of him! I am even more happy that David agreed to keeping him :) Some day I will have to share the story with you of how we got Rascal (she was a Rascal!), and then she had to kittens, one of which is Tippy, who you will so on occasion in my photo's!

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  25. First Congrats on your new addition- SHe's completely adorable.
    Second- I've had numerous animals come into my life unexpectedly at just the right time. I'm a believer in the universe sending you what you should have:)

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  26. You ARE the cat whisperer! But I think it's because they - and all animals - sense that kind and pure heart of yours. I don't like to admit this....but that face has TOTALLY melted my heart! Heaven help when I meet him in person.

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  27. We have four cats....and.....2 just showed up at the door...1( 16 yrs.) was one of three feral kitty's that were born in the chicken coop, and we decided to keep and neuter, and 1 was given to me by my sister, when a sweet skinny 10 month old very pregnant female showed up at her door...she had 4 kitties and I picked out Jasmine....they are all precious to me.

    Gizmo is a perfect name for your new sweet kitty!

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  28. He is absolutely adorable!Enjoy him...soon the other cats will get used to him.

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  29. Those pictures of Gizmo (love the name) in the window are PRECIOUS!!

    We had a litter of kittens show up near our garage in a similar fashion years ago. I was sitting outside talking on the phone to my mom, and couldn't believe my eyes! (We live quite off the beaten path.) They were hissing, spitting mean & wild at first, but tamed quickly with some food & love.

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  30. Oh, I'm so glad you are keeping Gizmo. He is just adorable. I agree, people have no personal responsibility and for so many people pets are just that and not a part of the family. Don't get me started...angry rant coming. I've heard horror stories of people giving up their pets (at least to shelters, but still...) just because they had a baby. That is just wrong.
    I hope that you can catch the other kitty. They will both make great additions to your home. As SARK says, "Cats are angels with fur...adopt one, they'll take over your life and you won't mind."

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  31. Oh SO ADORABLE!!! THree of our four cats showed up on our doorstep, two as tiny kittens. People love to dump animals around here. :( Glad Gizmo has a good home with you now!!

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  32. So CUTE! And so lucky that you found him/her. Absolutely adorable. What a wonderful story!

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  33. Everyone dropped their cats off at our farm growing up. My mom was always willing to take them in (as long as they were okay being barn cats!) Gizmo is so cute and he is lucky to have landed at your home!

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  34. Aww so beautiful and cozy looking in your window. Congrats on your new family member ! He is adorable.

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  35. I saw Gizmo on Facebook, what a cutie! We had cats show up one winter out of the blue. The mom had mitten paws, and one of the kittens had eyes so damaged he was blind. The momma walked with her front paws around the kitten, guiding it, and it was amazing to see. We let her stay in the garage (where she'd found her way to) all winter, and kept her and her babies loved, fed and warm. When the weather got warm again they up and left and we never saw them again. I was sad that they'd left, but the momma never warmed up to me much, she didn't like anyone touching her babies. I guess she had something else to do/somewhere else she wanted to go.

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  36. Oh my - such a cutie pie! Fabulous photos.

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  37. As a cat lover, this post makes y heart skip a beat or two. How freaking cute!! Adorable! And a million other adjectives. Gizmo is so lucky to have found such a warm and loving home with you. If you ever need anyone to babysit him, I will gladly!! LOL

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  38. When you first introduced Gizmo on Face Book I was wondering if he wasn't an abandoned drop-off.

    Those ears make me smile. I wonder if he will ever grow into them? :-)

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  39. Oh my goodness, that one with the outstretched tail in the window....perfect! SUper cute!

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  40. Gizmo is the perfect name for such a sweet little kitten, Tammy! I'm thankful that animals seek you out too-and I don't think it's accidental. You are truly a blessing!

    We rescued a box turtle once-we found him crawling along a busy road. We took him back to the forest and released him near a pond-and hoped he'd be happy there. And Willow-though not showing up on our doorstep exactly was a rescue. I think we may have been her last hope before the unthinkable:)

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  41. Agh, Gizmo is super cute! We got rid of our two kitties when we moved back to California because my nephew is really allergic and we wanted him to be able to visit often. Sad thing is, they don't visit that often and Reagan is itching for a little pet. Her fish isn't cutting it :) LOL

    ¤´¨)
    ¸.•*´
    (¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
    Raising-Reagan.com

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  42. Oh how fortunate he made his way to your Neck of the Woods.

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  43. Oh my gosh, these kittens are so freakin' CUTE!!! Hahaha - I stumbled on painted cats - but you were literally stumbling on real live kitties! :-)

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  44. Absolutely adorable! I'm so glad he found you. the pictures are beyond cute. Poor little bug! So glad he landed along, I can just imagine your surprise finding him! I also feel in my heart of hearts you may win in keeping him as an indoor cat ;)

    We've had lots of critters show up at the door, cats, dogs, lots of wild things but I'm not counting them :) We've even had people drive way out here (and we are in the bush and off the main road, no one else even lives back here) tie dogs to our gate and leave them. It's a mile from the house and I only go out once every week or more usually two or three! It's horrible the way people dump animals.

    Thankfully this story seems to have a happy ending for both of you and good luck with #2... will be watching for updates!

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  45. He's so cute! People have a really bad habit of dropping off animals around here too. We have taken in a lot of strays :)

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  46. Yes, we have had cats and dogs show up on doorstep. I figured they were being " helped". And you know, since the girls are grown and gone, we haven't had one show up.

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  47. That's so sad and happens way too often. I can't imagine dumping any animal anywhere when there are so many vets and shelters who will take them. He/She is just beautiful - so happy Gizmo {very cute name} found you. :)

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  48. Awww..so glad he found you guys!

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  49. An adorable little surprise for you Tammy! Whenever we get a new kitten, I always keep him/her away from the others until they are vet-checked. So many things an unknown kitten can carry and give to the others. Enjoy!

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  50. Awww, he's so cute! Yes, we've had dogs and cats dumped on us, but not lately thank goodness.
    ~ Kathi

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  51. What a lucky kitty to find such a compassionate family. Sounds like you wished for him too! Gizmo
    Is too cute! Love the name!
    :)

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  52. He is a cutie! Love the name Gizmo. I do not think you were a cat in a previous life....I think you are just a warm heart who cares for God's creation. The Bible says in Proverbs 12:10 "the righteous take care of the needs of animals...." I think from the very beginning when God placed Adam and Eve in the garden to tend and take care of the animals and garden this is how God intended us to live our lives...taking care of what is around us.. Take care of Gizmo. I am sure you will win on the "inside Cat" part. Lol....enjoy! Blessings!

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  53. Oh my goodness what a cutie pie!! Gizmo is the perfect name for him! I've been wanting a kitten for a long time, but I feel like our cat would be super offended, and would show it in rather unpleasant ways. I hope your new little guy fits into the family!!

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  54. What a little cutie I bet your animals magic is working well. Looks like he has made himself at home.
    Lovely weekend to you
    Sheila x

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  55. Oh so sweet! After reading your story about Sylvester it does sound like animals are magically drawn to you! That kitten definitely fell on its paws when it found you.

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  56. omg, what a little cutie!!
    thanks for posting this.
    totally enjoyed your photos.
    love the name.

    big hugs

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  57. Gizmo is such a cutie! He is so lucky to have found you. I totally enjoyed your story and the beautiful pictures.

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  58. Look at that face! Precious! Y'all are so sweet for taking him in! We have an old abandoned house up the road that is (apparently) a known "drop off" for cats. I can't believe how many people can actually do that! There s at least a cat or two a year left there. Luckily there are plenty of barns with hay and mice around! Hope you're able to reach the other one too!

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  59. Gizmo is too cute. I just had to jump to this post although it wasn't the first one I saw. My Shih-Tzu is named Gizmo and he actually looks a little bit like the Gremlin as well. You just gave me an idea to post about him. :) Loving your blog. :)

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  60. Oh he is just so precious. I am another "cat whisper" lady and yes we've had some cats wander into our lives that way too. Gizmo is just adorable as can be. I vote for "inside" as it's just so much safer for them.

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  61. Oh, my! That last photo is too cute! Well, all of them are. Gizmo is irresistible :)

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  62. What an adorable kitten! I'm so glad that Gizmo was found and rescued by you. I don't understand how people can just dump unwanted animals.

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  63. Oh, Gizmo is adorable. So glad he found you. I haven't had any animals show up at my door, but one of my daughters has had many kittens show up at hers.

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  64. Thank you sharing such cuteness! Gizmo is gorgeous.

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  65. Awww, that is tooooo sweet. My husband and me are hoping a kitten will show up on out doorstep too... but we live two stories up, so that might be a problem ;-) I think it's horrible cats get dumped. I mean, even if you're really desperate: just take them to a shelter! Or have your cat nutured so you won't have to deal with a nest of kittens. Anyway, keep us up to date on Gizmo. What a cutie pie.
    Esther.

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  66. He is so cute!!!!!!
    We found a grown dachshund under a newspaper stand. =(

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  67. Tammy,

    I have been reading some of your older posts.

    What a blessing to have found Emma and Gizmo, and what a blessing for them to have found you.

    Hugs!

    Sue

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  68. I am in the process of relocating a feral cat colony - cats that got established because stupid ppl won't fix their danged cats. 30 of them. Do you know how hard it is? They lived behind a school and hotel, and in an area rife with mice/rodents other animals. You would think that ppl would be glad for the rodent control- (all were spay/neutred and rabied btw). But nooo. They wanted them gone. Guess where to? A kind former chicken farmer offered their chicken barn/coop and out door run. 22 will be relocated there. I am very sad they will lose their outdoors - it was a great place, but happy that they will be in warm quarters t his winter (chicken coop heating lights, LOL) and dry. And also that they will be able to get a little fresh air. Predator proof too - so no worried about coyote or hawks hunting them... I am delighted relieved beyond measure. Am wondering if I should offer to purchase a Safe Kitty enclosure to "add on" to the outdoor enclosure so all will have enough space. God bless you for rescuing your kitten. And I hope the other kitten comes in from the cold and joins it litter mate. So many of my colony were good buddies that I was fearful I'd have to split them up...

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