Roanen the seal

This is Roanen. Roanen the seal. In his lil t-shirt. Roanen is a feral cat I brought home as a kitten. But it's true what they say. Feral cats are never truly domestic. Roanen is big. He is twice the size of my tiny dog Peaches. More on her later. Everyone always says. Oh my! That's a big cat! I have to warn people who come in to my house... "Be careful with Roanen! Do not play with him. He is feral. He might attack you." He is not viscous. He is just... different. I tend to call him my "Lil Bastard Cat." He frequently gives me nasty cuts and scratches. Often in the face. Because he is handsy with his claws. I call him "Kitty Paw Claws" too.  And I cut his claws. When he was a kitten he was very nocturnal. I would be in bed sleeping and he would come racing in, attack my face, then run away full speed. I learned to sleep with the door closed. 

He is very precocious. Always into things. Always in trouble. Always trying to get outside. I think his feisty personality comes from all the wild salmon I fed him as a kitten. Roanen was very sick when I got him. I nursed him back to health on a diet of wild salmon I brought home from the river near my house. I "tickle" fish. Technically "tickling" is illegal. You are supposed to use a fishing rod. But if you were standing in the river and a huge salmon was right there at your feet. Wouldn't you just catch it with your bare hands and walk home? The conservation officer saw me walking home with this huge salmon in my arms one time and asked me where my rod was. I just giggled and said I forgot it at home. She didn't say anything more. I guess she decided one fish was not a big deal. Good thing I can only carry one at a time! One fish in particular put up quite the fight. It was a real struggle to get it out of the water. I think that fish gave Roanen his spirit. That's why Roanen is such a fighter. That and the fact he had to fight for his life when he was so small. He was so sick those first months I thought he might die. But he rallied and now he's a big guy. I used to lay the salmon down and open it up so the insides poured out and put tiny Roanen on the fish and just let him go to town. He was so cute, covered in fish blood, he loved it!

Roanen is incredibly affectionate with me, it's just other people I have to watch him with. I had this friend named Matt who helped me move to my tiny house from my apartment. Roanen decided he liked Matt, so he started rubbing on him. Next thing I knew he was hanging from Matts ass by his claws. Matt was good about it. He just said, "could you do something about your cat? He scares me."

 Now Roanen is aggressive grooming. He has food allergies. So he has to wear t-shirts. Like the one in the photo. At first he was not super impressed with this situation. But I think because I taught him to walk on a leash he is super ok with being handled, by me only, and adapted quickly to being dressed and undressed. He loves to come to me now and get rubbed under his t-shirt.