06/03/2026
Do you remember the sweet, but extremely timid kitty named Murphy?
It's been a minute since I've posted about him, so here's an update!
We managed to catch Murphy just before Halloween last year in the pouring rain. I had received a message the week previously about an orange tabby cat who had recently shown up at a business with a huge wound on his back.
After the business owner had been unsuccessful in catching him, we were quite anxious to get Murphy to a vet as soon as possible, so we decided to make the trip to Leamington to get him.
Yesterday, I took Murphy to see the vet for a sedated exam so that I could get his ears and his wounds checked. As well as his nails trimmed and a few other small housekeeping things.
The wound on his back is 99% healed and some fur has grown back in. If you had told me when we first met Murphy that his back would take more than six months to heal, I probably would have laughed. But here we are.
However, his ears are still an issue so he received another dose of long-acting medication to help with the fungal infection, which I expect to need to repeat in 30 days. His 'cauliflower ears' make treating them more of a challenge because they don't receive the same airflow as normal cat ears.
Murphy's first weigh-in at the vet last year was 7.9 lbs. Yesterday, he weighed-in at 11.9 lbs. Four pounds of weight gained in about half a year isn't too shabby! That four pounds is mostly chicken. Shorty's chicken to be precise. 🤣
To be fair, it wouldn't be too difficult for any cat to put on that much weight, especially when they're confined to a kennel. Which leads me to the next part of the update.
I said when we first caught Murphy that I didn't think he was feral. I thought that he just needed some careful persuasion as to how wonderful some humans can be, and that I would employ my usual technique of food bribery to prove this to him.
Unfortunately, Murphy needed more than chicken to trust me. He also needed time.
So, he and I have been working on our trust issues and he has made some great progress! He will now eat in front of me, sometimes even before I've closed his kennel door. Especially if there's chicken in bowl. Only a few months ago, he wouldn't eat until I had fully moved away into the other room and he didn't think I was watching him.
Now, when he hears me coming down the stairs, he immediately sits up and cranes his neck to watch me walk towards him in anticipation of food or treats. A few months ago he would jump from his bed into his litter box and would cower until I had left the vicinity.
He used to be quite combative when I'd slowly reach in to take the bowls for cleaning or to swap out his linens. Now, he understands and trusts the routine so all I have to do is gently coax him over a bit so I can do what I need to do.
Getting him into a carrier before was kind of an nightmare and he always peed all over due to his stress level. Whereas yesterday, there was no peeing and he didn't fight me nearly as much. He also did not panic when I lifted the carrier.
Lastly, two more not so subtle changes with Murph.
The first is that last week was the first time that he played with a toy! He actually drowned the felt mouse in his water dish, and completely destroyed the catnip ravioli! Up until now he wouldn't even touch any toys, catnip or otherwise, that I gave him.
The second, which to me was by far the biggest change in him, was when we got home yesterday from seeing the vet. After he had a couple of hours to decompress, I went downstairs to see if he had forgiven me for dragging him to the clinic, and he immediately stood up, came towards the front of the kennel and lightly rubbed his forehead against the kennel door a few times.
He was ASKING for pets!! 🤗
I said before that I did not think that he was feral and I still don't think he ever was. I think like many of the cats we come across, he had a super sh*tty start to his life, and maybe even some negative behaviour directed towards him from someone, which would account for his demeanor. I think if I give him enough time and space and chicken of course, he and I will eventually become friends, so that he can come live upstairs with the rest of the gang!
To read more about Murphy's story:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17iSW2rdsW/
