On November 1, 2017, which was unusually cold for our area (teens) I was on my way home from choir practice around 9:30 at night. I got about 1 mile from the church where I turn onto a 4-lane divided highway (US 411 in Tennessee). There are numerous businesses and plants along the highway so it is generally busy. In the middle of the road was a gray and white kitty huddled in fear that I almost didn't see and almost hit. I stopped my car, put on my flashers and got out. I got down on my hands and knees and approached the kitty, with my Miata blocking as much of the road as a Miata can. Fortunately, another vehicle (an SUV) coming from the opposite direction saw what I was doing, stopped their vehicle and shone their headlights on the kitty so I could see what I was doing. The kitty just looked at me and I almost grabbed it the first try but she backed away. I spoke softly to her some more and she came close to me again where I was able to grab her. I carried her to my car, got in, shut the door, and put her on the passenger's seat. I had no carrier and 25 miles to home. I was just hoping she would not go ballistic. She just laid the front half of her body on my lap and slept the entire way home. Since I had three other cats in the house, I left her in the garage overnight with food, water, a bed, and a litterbox. The next morning, I took her to my vet and left her for a check-up. Thankfully, her health was good. She was treated for fleas and worms and we found out the kitty was a she. It was determined by her teeth that she was about 6 months old so we made an appointment for spaying in the next few weeks. I named her Freyja (I was going to name her Setzer if she had been a boy after Brian Setzer the musician). In Norse mythology, Freyja's cart is drawn across the sky by two gray long-haired cats. While my Freyja is a gray and white tuxie, she does have a very bushy tail. I wasn't going to keep her but she is so sweet I could not let her go. She just learned how to meow this past Christmas, I'm not so sure that was a good thing. She is terrified of the other cats, and with good reason, the callies do seem to want to kill her! One of the older kitties died this past October so she only has two to contend with and one of those is 15 years old and the other has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Sarajevo's rescue is also on this site). Freyja is still semi-feral but is a "beta" personality. She is so gentle, I truly don't believe she would have made it outdoors. She follows me around like a puppy and I am the only one that can pick her up. My husband can pat her but has to let her sniff his hands first and then only around her ear area. She will watch guests in the house, but not let them get near to her. I think she will eventually come around but until then, I will just enjoy my semi-wild cat.

Susan Anderson
CLEVELAND, TN