I found my fuzzbutt, Smokey, October 3, 2015. I'd gone to the check cashing place across the street from my apartment complex to get the money orders for rent and water. He was sitting on the windowsill of the check cashing place. I stopped, petted him, went in, got what I needed, came out, he was still there.

He reminded me of a cat I had for sixteen years of my life growing up, the original Smokey. About a year after I found him, I discovered his breed is Nebelung. They all look like carbon copies of each other.

Picked him up and carried him the block down the street to my apartment. Dropped him inside the door and went to pay the office manager. Came back. Couldn't find him anywhere. Finally realized he was hiding in a cabinet. I'd been packing to move and a lower kitchen cabinet was open. He spent his first week in there. I'd set a bowl of food and water just outside the door to the cabinet. He'd come out and explore while I was gone to work but disappear again once I returned. Until I woke up one afternoon (I'd worked nightshift at the time) and he was curled up in the crook of my knees. He's been my spoiled, whiny brat ever since.

When I found him, the tip of his left ear was bloody and scarred. Later learned that's a practice by the city to cut down on feral litters. They fix the males and clip their ears (or, just clip the females ears) as a marker. Kind of like when researchers put tags on animals in the wild.

And, the almost first thing I did was take him to the vet. Perfect health. He was actually underweight. Homeless kitty, ya know. Well, he's now a perfect healthy CHUNK!! LOL