I recentlly moved into a house, but we are not 100% moved out of our old apartment quite yet. Maybe in another 2-3 car loads we will have everything out of the old apartment and back at our new house.
Anyway, a couple of days ago I was at the apartment by myself getting some boxes together and I had the front door of the apartment open, so as to make my trips to the car with armloads of boxes easier. It was about 9:30 in the evening, so it was dark out. I had just come down the stairs from what used to be our loft bedroom, and there was movement in what used to be our office. Upon closer inspection I discovered a gorgeous long hair grey kitty with white stockings. When he saw me, he expected me to be mad at him for "breaking and entering"so he cowered and prepared for the worst. When I saw him I immediately sat down on the ground and called him over to me. He was perhaps the sweetest and most beautiful kitty I had ever been around. I felt immediately bonded to him. He came running up to me and gave me head bumpies and he pured and pured.
He didn't look terribly thin, although he was deffinately not at all fat. He was maybe just a little thin. He was fluffy and his fur was pretty matted. But the thing that made me mad, was the fact that he was front declawed. I picked up those little footies and made sure, and he was deffinately front declawed, although he had his back claws.
I really, really wanted to take him home with me since he had been mutilated (declawed) and he had no collar or any type of ID that I could see.
I very much disagree with declawing cats. I find it to be a legal form of animal abuse, but what's worse is that this poor kitty was roaming around without a collar or front claws. I didn't take him, but I can tell you that I have been regretting my decision since I had to leave him that night. I have gone back hoping to find him, and I even waited and called for him for over an hour...he never came back.
If he does come back while I continue to empty the old apartment of our stuff, I think I am going to take him home with me, and make sure he never gets outdoors again. Thoughts of some little child missing their kitty was the only thing that kept me from "stealing" him. I don't know if he has a loving home, but I assumed he did since he was so incredibly friendly, and he was not emaciated or starving looking. But whoever did the declawing should at the very least make sure that cat did not get outdoors....EVER! And if it did happen to slip outside, the owners should have kept a collar with an ID tag on him so people like me would know that someone loves him enough to ID him. I have even broken the news to my husband that if this cat comes back to the apartment, that I am going to take him home with me.
I guess I would like to know if it is wrong to take him if he comes back to visit while we finish clearing the apartment out. If I do take him I would put up a few signs to make sure someone didn't miss him, but I would hope that no one claimed him because I really loved him. He had such a good, kind temperment and he seemed so gentle. I even brushed him with the dogs' brush and he LOVED it! He was kneeding (making biscuts
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I don't think I have enough guts to "steal" an animal, unless I can be 100% sure it is in an abusive situation where it is not loved. I am only guessing with this little guy. I named him Minion. I stopped by the apartment to get yet another box of stuff after Kersey's agility class and Minion came to visit tonight. I actually saw him in a group of 4 other kitties. I recognized Minion right away (he's BEAUTIFUL!) but none of the other kitties were familier. As soon as I saw him in his little possie of kitties, I called him by his new name and all of the other kitties scattered frantically...but not my little grey friend. He stayed and let out a darling , soft little meow. I went up to him and thourughlly loved him, cuddled him, picked him up and carried him around for a little while and then set him down. He kept "petting" my leg and giving me head bumpies. I couldn't resist, so I picked him up again and began knocking on doors to see if anyone knew who he was or where he belonged. It about 9:15 P.M. when I started knocking on doors, and I was a little uncomfortable about how late it was, but no one answered their doors anyway. I only knocked on two doors. 
So, if you take him, I wouldn't give it a second thought, really!! No one deserves to even know about it, if they would allow a declawed cat outdoors, even for just a little "romp". You mentioned mats, too. That' a sign of neglect to me.. 
) with you. From what you describe, I don't think he has a home at all. No declawed cat should be left outside....no excuses!!! Plus, with a matted coat and not being totally "well fed" so to speak...he could have been a recent abandonment case, which is why he is still friendly. When I was in the second grade, I found a stray declawed cat...who eventually settled in my family's life quite well
,you know what I mean.
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