Orange and White

A flyer that had been posted around my neighborhood caught my eye this afternoon — someone found a stray cat in our area, yesterday. What's piqued my interest is that this cat seems virtually identical to Mr. O'Malley, with the same beautiful, distinctive markings. This cat was found with a pink collar on, so I'm assuming that this is a female. (Either that, or someone has a sense of irony.)

I've been trying to use details in the two photos as a sort of reference point to puzzle out the size — I think she's about the same size as Mr. O'Malley, perhaps a bit more svelte, which would make sense if she were female. (We adopted a pair of litter mates almost three years ago — the brother is enormous, the sister still slim.)

The woman who found her just called, while I was writing, and we exchanged stories. The lost cat seems healthy, and is very affectionate, and even smells a bit of shampoo, just as Mr. O'Malley did when we found him. (The vet suggested it might be fabric softener, and that the cat was accustomed to napping in a basket of clean laundry.) I'm sure that the owner will come forward soon — that the cat was found wearing a collar is a hopeful sign. But then, nobody ever came looking for Mr. O'Malley.

I've asked that the woman keep us in mind if that doesn't happen, and she decides that she can't offer the cat a home.