A Kitten with Any Other Hairdo Probably Wouldn’t Be Called “Alfalfa”

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Domesticated animals, particularly cats, seem to get something of a bad rap. It doesn’t matter what town or city you live in, there is bound to be a part of town that seems to have more strays than others. Cats are the most noticeable for a couple of reasons: First, when there are a few stray cats there are likely to be many more…they congregate, for lack of a better term, and that they do wherever the free food supply is greatest. Secondly, stray cats seem more abundant because they are. According to the National Kitten Coalition, 7.6 million domestic animals are abandoned or lost in the United States every year, and out of that number 3.4 million are cats, with 1.4 being euthanized annually. Pretty staggering numbers, aren’t they? That’s why it surprises us when one cat out of all those millions gets the chance to have a forever home, with humans that love him or her. That is exactly the case with the cat discussed here. Thanks to this feline’s uniquely ‘styled’ hair and its apparent ability to be in the right place at the right time, it has found its human at last.

Who Is Chris Poole?

The story of this particular furry baby begins one day when a man named Chris Poole was going to go work out at his gym. Also known as ‘Cat Man’ because he kept his eye out for feral and stray felines, Poole quickly noticed a scrawny kitten hanging out around his gym. Chris found himself feeling like the cat was very familiar, though he wasn’t sure why, and this caused him to want to help immediately. It didn’t take him long to realize, however, that the sense of familiarity he felt was due to the kitten’s black and white fur pattern: It made the little fella look just like Alfalfa from ‘The Little Rascals’. Finding it fitting, Chris gave him that name on the spot and decided to find a home for the cutie, but there was one obstacle: Earning Alfalfa’s trust. He wasn’t too worried about it, though; he knew it was a challenge he could accept and succeed at. So, what did Poole do to get Alfalfa to trust him? Read on and find out…

Slowly Making A Friend

The first thing Chris had to do was determine what Alfalfa’s personality was like; was the kitty friendly, or hostile toward strange humans? The answer to that question would determine his next course of action, and it would also tell him a bit about the cat’s life up to that point. For instance, if Alfalfa came up to him easily and willingly, it probably meant he had been a housecat at one time. If it was curious but apprehensive, it likely had never known human love, and was now wary of them. If the feline began to hiss and show aggression it could be feral. There was much to consider ahead of time.

Fortunately, Chris could tell that the cat with the perfectly parted ‘hairdo’ was definitely worthy of having a family to love, so he got to work. The first thing he did was attempt to lure the kitty to him with a tasty meat stick. It took Alfalfa a while to actually try the snack, but once he did his interest in Chris grew by leaps and bounds. Next, he continued to use the meat snacks, but this time he put a trail of bread bits and pieces out leading directly to a safe live trap, which would capture the cat without any harm so that Chris could deal with what came next. The idea worked…to an extent. Alfalfa at the treats he offered, and even entered the trap, but he stopped just short of settling on the trigger that would close the door behind him. Would he run off, making all of Chris’ work for nothing?

The Next Step

Fortunately for both Poole and Alfalfa, the cat got comfortable and curled up in a ball. As a result, weight was put on the trigger mechanism and the door dropped. Now the cat was safe inside, with his whole future ahead of him… little did he know. Chris thought fast and rushed to the animal and threw a blanket over the cage; this would help the animal to remain calm and docile. He had a foster home lined up for Alfalfa already, which was the next step in seeing to it that the kitty eventually got a for real ‘furever’ home. Now it was time to take the cat to them. The next part of the journey involved foster mom Colleen Drury earning his trust. Colleen opted to use a different kind of treat to appeal to Alfalfa: Minnows. With such a tasty fare it didn’t take long at all for trust to be build, and soon it was clear that the new kitty was surprisingly tame and loving.

The first thing that had to happen was for the cat to be quarantined until he could be cleared of having any contagious diseases. During this period Alfalfa got along so well with the other cats around him that is was very surprising to the humans involved. Usually strays are a bit resistant when there are strange cats involved, but this one was very social…it was a big plus. Now it was time for him to explore his new home a bit; he even had a pool area to lounge in, and it was screened-in for his safety…what a life! He would certainly be comfortable and cared for in the Drury home, but a permanent placement still needed to be found for him. After all, the home he was in was only a foster home, so there was still ground to cover.

Reaching the Goal

The good news is that it didn’t take long for Colleen and Chris to conclude that Alfalfa was ready to be adopted by a family. They certainly had their ears and eyes open, but little did they know that Alfalfa already had his heart set…he wasn’t going anywhere, if he had his way about it. And acceptance on the part of the Drurys was easy, because they already loved the kitty…he was already home. The family continued to call him Alfalfa, since it was so obviously fitting. And as you know, the cat never looked back. Loved, accepted, and cared for by the Drury family, this little fella with the Alfalfa cut won their hearts for a lifetime. None of the resulting happiness would have been possible without the determination of Chris ‘Cat Man’ Poole, however. Be sure to check out his YouTube video showing the process he went through earning Alfalfa’s trust; it’s sure to warm your heart even more.