When I saw how rough he looked I took pity on him and fed him despite it upsetting my own cat. I gave him some of her good spot ons.

I first discovered that he’d infected me with ringworm in Melbcat’s last week, right before she went into hospital for the last time and died. So instead of being able to relax with her before that I was frantically laundering everything to protect her health while she cried for me to come to bed. I came back long enough to settle her and then went back to working.

Then I had to upend my entire house and deep clean the spores instead of having the time to mourn her. The infection still came back. I gave him her food.

Then he was crying at my door on a rainy night so I removed all traces of her trying to get everything put in the other room and to create a warm dry space indoors if he needed one. I was stressing about finding him a safe home.

Now he decides he’d rather do whatever he wants and play funny buggers rather than be treated. And his shitty owners just don’t care that he’s out after curfew, sick and infectious, and hunting native birds.

And if he comes back the potential for him to reinfect me or my house still remains.