How Do They Find Me??

I have this image in my head of some kind of networking going on out on the streets among stray cats. Apparently, my address is part of this network, as if I run a soup kitchen and shelter for homeless kitties. "Hey kid! Need a place to sleep? Some grub? Some heartstrings to pull on? Let me tell you about this place...."

I came home from work this evening and was greeted by a tiny kitty stretched out on the stairs leading up to my apartment. He's an older kitten, I think. He followed me to my door, meowing and talking along the way. I went inside and closed the door. I could hear him standing outside my door still meowing and talking. He looks very thin, and it's so hot outside so I placed a bowl of food and some water outside for him. He began to devour the meal.

He's really cute and very playful. He snuggles against me when I hold him, and he likes to play with my necklace while he chews on it. To call him affectionate is an understatement. He likes it when I hold him, and he likes to curl up on my lap. I love his huge ears! He looks like my cat, Gus, who is also a tuxedo cat. Here's a photo of Gus from last Christmas:

Now before you start to predict that I am going to end up keeping this cat, let me say that I cannot afford to introduce another cat into my household, regardless of how cute and playful he is. I think that the addition of yet another cat into Gus' territory would be really stressful for him, especially since his brother, Tucker, has died. Plus, I can't take on the expense of having him checked for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus before I introduce him into the household.

So I have a plan. If he's still around in the morning (and I suspect he will be), I'm going to scoop him up and into one of my kitty carriers. I'll stop by my vet's office on the way to work in the morning and see if any of their staff wants a kitten or if they know of any other clients who might be looking for a kitten. If I have no luck there, I'll take him to work and see if I have a co-worker who would like to have a kitten or knows of someone who wants one. I really don't want to take him to the shelter because a large majority of cats who end up in animal shelters are euthanized because they are not adopted. I will do whatever I can to avoid that. Fortunately, it's not cold outside, so I don't feel guilty about not bringing him inside.

I don't feel particularly emotionally equipped to doing this, but I have no choice. I can't let this little guy wander around aimlessly looking for food and affection. He's just a baby, after all. I've set up a little shelter for him right outside of my apartment door, and he has food and water. I'm hoping like crazy that I can find a good home for him tomorrow.