That Darn Cat – Part II

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Pamela Knudsen

Sergio’s stalking has continued. Recently, I was heading to the office when he appeared at the front door crying and pawing on the glass. I couldn’t open the door for fear of him getting into the house or Samantha getting out. I called John who was able to come over and chase him away by squirting him with the hose. These episodes have become routine.

I called Animal Control and the officer explained there was nothing they could do unless the cat hurt me, Samantha or did damage to the property. After another morning of his persistent pursuit of trying to get into the cottage, I called Animal Control again, asking what else was possible in the situation of a negligent owner letting an unneutered cat wander the neighborhood at all hours, trespassing and terrorizing. John installed motion-sensor cameras, which detected him on the roof at 1:00 am; another night, he woke me at 11:00 pm, yowling at the side door, then noisily prowled the yard for an hour.

Sergio at the side door during the day, which happens frequently. I’ve learned to block the French door so he can’t see inside.

The officer said the owner could be cited at this point, only the owner is unknown to me. Not helpful. He said the next time Sergio appears, rather than chasing him off, draw all drapes to prevent him from being able to see inside and Samantha from seeing out. He explained that the cat seems to need attention and negative attention is better than no attention. If we don’t offer interaction and ignore him, eventually he should stop stalking us. That was two weeks ago.

He was here in the rain a couple of days ago.

Yet, he’s not been abandoned. When his collar had a tag a couple months back, a neighbor found him in her courtyard late one night and managed to get the number off the tag (mentioned in Part I). I reached out to her for the number. I sent a text to the number from the tag explaining the situation and suggesting Sergio get neutered and be kept inside. A person named Margarita responded to my text with a voicemail, apologizing for what I was dealing with and understood my frustration, and said she would provide me with Sergio’s mom’s contact information so that we could discuss the matter. She explained that “we” just got Sergio neutered. I never received the contact information for Sergio’s so-called mom, and when I called back after another stressful episode, it seems my number has been blocked. I also texted, and never got a response.

I feel sorry for Sergio, yet I’m furious and frustrated with the situation; mostly at these irresponsible “owners.” My heart hurts when Samantha gets anxious and I worry for her health. I wish someone would just take him in. But I can’t rely on wishes.

Over the weekend I learned he’s been terrorizing a gal next door and her two cats. He’s ripped her screen—twice. I told her to call Animal Control about Cujo the cat.

To be continued…

Christmas Eve Greetings

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Pamela Knudsen

Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m finally slowing down after a hustling and bustling past few months. I’ve got the rest of the week off from the corporate day job and look forward to visiting friends and family; but like an overstimulated feline who retreats to their safe place (box, cozy corner of the closet, or atop baskets under the console) I’ll also be retreating to the sofa with my latest good read in hand.

In 2026, I’m going to be sharing fascinating feline stories told to me by colleagues and friends over the past year. I’ve discovered cat lovers in cohorts who I’d no idea were into cats, and I’m amazed at the passion and love they have for their felines. Wait until you hear about the attorney from the California Department of Real Estate who went to great efforts to rescue abandon kitties in a Target parking lot, and the studio cat of local kiln glass artist.

Stay tuned, and in the meantime, I leave you with some Christmas cheer in the below poem I wrote a couple of years a go…

Catmas Eve at The Cottage

T’was the night before Christmas and the cottage was bustling
With kitty cat cries and Cat Lady hustling,
Baking cookies, brewing tea and happily dancing,
As her kitty joined in, by joyfully prancing.

The twinkle lights hung in the garden with care,
As Cat Lady looked on hoping Santa Paws would soon be there.
When startled by a clatter that filled the room,
She turned to see her floof flitting around, zoomy, zoom, zoom!

The kitchen cupboard was open, catnip spilled all around,
Cat Lady laughed at the scene, while kitty rolled on the ground.
The ginger floof frolicked in catnip with glee,
With her teacup now dry, Cat Lady announced, “It’s time for whiskey!”

Cat Lady sipped her nightcap as she gazed at the moon,
Wondering if the arrival of Santa Paws would happen sometime soon.
Suddenly in the dark, outside the French door,
A sound so startling, kitty flew across the hardwood floor.

Cat Lady and kitty peered out the window seeking to see,
What caused such noise, oh my—could it be?
Then what they heard caused no doubt in their minds,
“Meowy Catmas to all!” rang out a voice boisterous and kind,
Then he was off in a flash, flying high up above,
Leaving the best gift of all, the presence of love.

Green Eyes and Chicken Soup

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Pamela Knudsen

“Green-eyed lady, windswept lady
Moves the night, the waves, the sand
Green-eyed lady, lovely lady
Child of nature, friend of man”

Lyrics from “Green-Eyed Lady” by Jerry Corbetta, J.C. Phillips
and David Riordan, sung by Sugarloaf

Samantha’s left eye is back to being a lovely shade of celadon. The gloppy grey and blood-streaked scar tissue covering most of her eye formed after a simple corneal ulcer, resistant to antibiotic eye drop treatments, became infected. The bacteria melted thirty percent of her cornea, which I learned at her first visit to Eye Care Specialists for Animals. My heartbeat quickened when the vet cringed while examining Samantha’s eye. The diagnosis was grave, but the injury was curable with an aggressive treatment plan of two antibiotic eye drops, a healing serum, and one antiviral eye drop four to six times a day for four days, an oral antibiotic twice a day and gabapentin (painkiller) once or twice a day.

Scan reveals ulcer, the green patch, which is where the scar tissue formed.

I told the vet six times a day would be impossible. I work. It takes two people; my guy works. My nerves were already frazzled from a two-month roller coaster of giving eye drops, trips to the vet, her eye slowly healing then regressing. Over a weekend in late April, I found Samantha curled up in the closet and her eye crimson and swollen. She could barely open it. I rushed her to the vet. A different antibiotic and anti-inflammatory/pain killer was prescribed. These did nothing. I got her into the eye care vet later that week.

John and I attempted the first round of eye drops and could only get three of the four into her eye. After each drop we had to wait five minutes before giving the next. The stinging of the drops added to her misery and she let us know with cries and wriggling. I broke down. Through tears I tried to work with thoughts of Samantha facing surgery if I couldn’t administer the treatments. The pressure of needing to be vet tech extraordinaire and witnessing Samantha’s agony was devastating. Then I had an epiphany: Ya gotta know when to fold. That Friday afternoon, I boarded her at Laguna Hills Animal Hospital so their staff could administer the treatments. I learned that I couldn’t do it all, and being a good cat mama means knowing my limitations.

A little loopy on gabapentin.

Samantha adapted to the cone, which she gracefully wore for a month. I took it off for short spells so she could groom.

Samantha has had three follow-up visits, and with each visit, showed progress in healing. At her exam three weeks ago, the eye scan revealed that she was almost fully healed. The rigorous treatment plan was reduced to what John and I can handle; one drop and ointment twice a day. And I learned that the scar tissue would dissolve, but could take several months. Yet, it’s already a shadow of what it was back then. I’m hopeful that Samantha’s July 3^rd check up will be the last.

Samantha’s most recent vet visit–she’s clearly feeling better!

Juxtaposed to this trauma was the excitement of seeing my story, “Samantha” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from My Cat, released on May 20^th, which can be purchased in bookstores and online. Since the ‘90s, I’ve had several of the books in this award-wining series. Turning to Page 224 of the latest edition about the feline-human bond and seeing the story of how Samantha and I came to be is beyond belief.