Gotcha Day- Bojangles

Finally, mom and dad were able to bring Mr. Bojangles inside. Mom was upset because Mr. B had spent the past couple of days hanging out in our dog house. After being gone for 2 days, he was not straying far at all. The weather forecast was calling for dropping temperatures, and when it looked like there might be snow, that was the last straw. No more coaxing him along, it was time he stopped being coy and came in the house. Mom and dad borrowed our neighbors trap and set it up in the early evening on Monday night. By the time they went to bed, Mr. B was still avoiding eating the food in the trap. Dad ended up staying up most of the night because he was afraid Mr. B would get caught in the middle of the night and end up sitting in a cold metal cage for hours. When mom got up, she took over. She went outside and did the normal early morning ritual...clanging a fork on a plate so he can hear, and opening up a can of fancy feast. He came out for his normal breakfast...mom stood there and talked to him and within 2 minutes he walked into the trap and the door closed. Just like that! Mr. B was totally freaked out, but he only had to spend a couple of minutes in the cage because my mom saw it all happen. He was swooped up and brought inside to our TV room (cage and all). He was set up with a litter box, a cat bed and his food and water. When he was let out of the cage, he immediately hid behind the couch. This is what the yard looked like moments after he was captured.
He is now safe in the room. He hasn't touched his food all day. We are gathered outside the door, curious as can be about our mystery guest. The only one who isn't curious is Jonesie. That's because she already knows him! We won't be allowed to meet him until he completely settles down and mom and dad can get him to the v-e-t to check him out and scan for a microchip. Right now mom is concerned that she won't be able to stuff him in a travel box for a couple of days. Hopefully by the weekend she will be able to touch him. She doesn't even want to try because she wants him to do things in his own time.

He was doing a bit better this evening, out from behind the couch and sitting on the back of it. Mom sat in the room with him tonight for while so he can get used to her. No pictures of him for a few days since mom thinks sticking the flashy box in his face might be pushing it. He seems to be sick with a runny nose and some sneezes. He is scared of mom because she is the one there when he was trapped, but dad can pet him just fine. That breaks mom's heart since she tried so hard for him all these months and now dad is the one he likes. Dad will be the one to try and take him to the vet tomorrow if he can get him in the box.

It breaks our hearts that he was out there on his own for so long, but hopefully he understands on some level that he is loved and we will take care of him.