Wraith

This is my other porch cat, Wraith. (My porch cat Smudge was Cat of the Day recently.) Wraith, along with five other young cats, appeared suddenly in my neighborhood last summer. They all seemed to know each other and all were about the same age. We think someone dumped them. One was killed on the road and four have been take in by people in the neighborhood, leaving Smudge and Wraith still homeless. Smudge seems to have recently found a home, too. I rarely see him any more but twice in the past week he has come over when he saw me at the mail box and followed me home. He's apparently just being sociable, though, since he sniffs the dry food I offer, then haughtily declines it, and he's fat and sleek. Wraith, however, remains skittish and unapproachable. I call him Wraith both for his light smoky grey coat that makes him almost invisible against the color of the pavement and stone walls and concrete sidewalks and early morning fog, and for his will-of-the-wisp way of hanging back and ducking out of sight if you look directly at him. I've tried to tame him so I can take him in to the veterinary clinic where I work and get him neutered and vaccinated and have any problems such as fleas, worms, or eat mites taken care of, and perhaps find him a home. He's too shy and wary, though. Occasionally I can give him one stroke on the head, and that is all. Every time I see Wraith I know it may be the last time. We have coyotes in this area, and I'm afraid that sooner or later, one will get Wraith. It's so sad. He could have been someone's beloved pet. -Kay in Oregon