December 29, 2005

Animal magnetism:

Graywacke

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Graywacke is a soft, long-haired gray mix of a cat. Her moniker is after the hardened, dark sandstone that is scattered throughout the New Almaden area where she lives. But that is where the resemblance ends, because she is a soft and feminine feline who calls Kitty Monahan’s mini-farm her home.

Graywacke has a bird’s eye view on the hitching post at her New Almaden home and that’s the way she likes it. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“I didn’t know anything about her when I found her four years ago,” said Monahan. “I heard mewing in the barn and when I went out to check, there was this sweet, tiny kitten hiding inside.”

Monahan later discovered that neighbor Karen Pelosi wanted to give her the kitten she had found. Pelosi discovered the small feline when a feral black cat in the neighborhood had deposited the ball of fur at her own cat’s feeding bowl. Knowing that Monahan had lost Graywacke I, she decided to give her the kitten that resembled the other feline. But just as quickly as the cat had appeared she disappeared only to be discovered in Monahan’s barn.

“When I first found her I brought her inside the house,” said Monahan, “she quickly ran behind the sofa. I put out food, water and litter close to her. Each day I would put them farther away until they were near the back door. Now she’s in charge of the outdoors and the dogs are in charge of the inside of the house.”

And what an outdoor adventure the golden-eyed Graywacke has now. She has the run of the place, with horses and chickens and plenty of hiding places as well. When her dog friends, Midget and Finnegan, venture outside, she playfully attacks them letting them know they are in her territory.

Graywacke is also quite the mouser but she doesn’t kill her pray. She frolics with them tossing them high in the air. When she’s had her fill of the solitary game, she gives them to Midget and Finnegan, who proceed to chase the tiny rodent all over the house.

“One of her favorite things to do is lay in the sunny area in the house,” said Monahan. “She’ll cover her eyes from the brightness with her paws and fall asleep that way. She is so cute.”

And so from an ominous beginning of becoming a feral cat to fend for food and shelter by herself, Graywacke has the good life at Monahan’s mini-farm in New Almaden.

“Greywacke’s happy here,” said Monahan. “And we’re all happy that she’s here.”