In Search of KC's Roots: A Feline News Network Investigation

Good evening world!

Nikita, your FNN  Senior Journalist, and Correspondent (Actually, I wear TWO Journalistic Hats, as I'm an Offishul Repurrter for another Network, as well, hee, hee!), here.

Tonite I wish to introduce our new, not exactly fancy, Network Badge by bringing you an FNN Exclusive!

On July 18, 2006, on the Blog of Missy Blue Eyes, & ML, a picture was posted, and a simple announcement was made:

"Thanks to Karen C., this tiny beauty was saved from the dreaded "back room" and an instant death sentence. This "vicious feline" was transported to the shelter in a metal box to protect the employees. Karen ran over, retrieved KC from her metal prison, and began cuddling her. So much for the "ferocious feral".

Deb calls her the "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" kitty. Hopefully, KC will be traveling to Houston soon, to begin an exciting new life full of wonderful things."

As everyone knows Texas was indeed in her future and, as time marched on, the future of the Cat Blogosphere Community was changed forever. ;-D

Karen is the human who lives with Grr, Midnight, and Cocoa. ;-D

And, now, for the rest of the story. ;-D

Or, as much as Daddy Kiril was able to put together on a day Trip to San Pedro, Ca. on August 28th, 2010.

All that Karen remembers, and knew, in our e-mail correspondence while preparing Daddy for the trip, was that the old shelter, "a house, and a collection of little old buildings", was later abandoned for a new place nearby, and that KC was found somewhere in the area, alone: "She was so small there must have been a Mom, and Littermates, but they were never found."

Daddy, & I, did some Googling, looked at maps, confirmed website, and street address, and planned his Bus Choices.

Beyond that we had no expectations of finding out anything new, and interesting.

1130am, on the 28th, saw Daddy riding a bus on Ocean Blvd, west over a bridge thru Terminal island, from Long Beach to San Pedro, and looking out at all sorts of docks, and piers, and truck loading areas, train tracks, and container ships of every description.

 High Noon saw him standing on Gaffey St, a 1/2 block North of Miraflores Ave., looking at the big, clean, shelter that had replaced the old one KC was rescued from.

 It was the Los Angeles City Harbor Animal Care & Control.

 The place, opened in Summer 2008, is huge, and has several nice buildings, and is a clean, well run facility.

 Daddy arrived just in time to witness how officers handled a poor, confused, Pit Bull a man had found on the street, and brought in.

 The Dog struggled, and so had to be restrained, and dragged to the holding area, as gently as they could manage.

 

 

Daddy visited the room where all the Cats were, and saw many there, including some Torties, and some Humans there looking to adopt, and watched as some of the Cats, especially the Kittens, reached out their paws, and otherwise did their best to persuade a visitor to choose them.

 After chatting with officers, telling them about the successful new life one of their former residents now had, and leaving some of my fliers, he set off in search of the old shelter.

 That property was onlly 3 blocks away, on Battery Street, just off Gaffey.

 The old facility closed in 2007, or so, a few months after KC was rescued, after years on the narrow street, in cramped quarters, surrounded by auto parts stores, and factory parts businesses.

Since there was no address to be seen it took Daddy a few minutes to figure things out, and when he noticed the remaining building on the lot it all came together.

 

 

The one building that was left has been put to other uses, but it is clear that THIS was where KC ended up when she was rescued from the street, and where she briefly stayed until her trip to her new home.



Daddy went around the block, into an alley behind the building, and found these old paintings on the side of the building.





1pm:

Daddy next went into the hills southwest of the new Shelter, a wild area in the midst of this urban setting, correctly assuming, as he later learned, that this area would most likely be where KC must have been born, and maybe even found.

And there in lies quite a tale...

There are 2 parks, one on either end of this wilderness area, with nothing but dirt hiking trails to connect them, if you know where the entrances, and exits, are.

On the east side, with Gaffey running between its 2 sections, is Leland Park, and one had to walk thru a residential area, a few blocks west of the park to find the hole in a fence leading to the wilderness.

Daddy found the trail, and took a picture, then notice a small canyon with a black tarp over its dirt, and no way to reach the trail on the other side except to navigate this canyon.

When he saw a Black Cat on the opposite side, dart into some bushes there was no question in his mind that that was where he needed to go.



Although the fact that the slippery slope he soon found himself struggling on would lead some to wonder if he even HAD a mind, especially a working one! ;-D



Once on the other side he took a picture as proof that he survived. ;-D

Anyway he sallied forth along the trail, encountering a man who frequents the trail, and told him that, yes, Feral Cats live in this area, and frequently are seen even in Peck Park on the west end of the trail.

I will show the pictures along the trail in another post, but for now there are 2, of 3 pics, at Peck Park to share, with a story that gave Daddy his first clue to the possible origins of KC.





The Squirrel said his name was Sly, and he confirmed that there was a colony of Feral Cats in the area, though not as organized as they once had been, and he told Daddy what he knew about who he needed to find, and where he might be found.

Daddy continued on his walk, thru residential areas, back to the east side of Leland Park, whre he took a picture, then caught the bus heading into downtown San Pedro.

NEXT READ: In Search of KC's Roots: A Feline News Network Investigation 2

 

 

 





Comments

[KC]

Wow, I loves this story.

That was a lot of footwork in researching mine past.

Ok... on to part two now.

[Rose and the Royals]

A more in-dept investigation could not have been made by Christiane AmanPurr herself!!

[Artemisia, Fenris, Socks & Scylla]

Purrs, excellent reporting.

We are looking forward to the next installment.

[Cats of Wildcat Woods]

Great work - we had always wondered the origins of our wonderful KC!

Can't wait for the rest of the tale!

[J.R. Mackenzie]

I'm on the edge of my seat!

Can't wait for the next report!

[Eric and Flynn]

This is an exciting investigation. We can't wait to hear what happens next.