Callie started out as a semi-feral stray, who took up residence at the barn where my horse was living. She gradually became more tame, and my horse's caretaker was able to catch her and get her spayed and vaccinated. She lived at the barn until early in 2013, when the property was being cleared and she needed a new home. I had always liked Callie, and while I wasn't sure whether she would adapt well to housecat life, I offered to take her and see how she would do.

As it turned out, adapting was not a problem. Callie decided very quickly that a comfortable climate, lots of warm, soft sleeping places, and plenty of food without having competition from tomcats and stray chickens (a common problem at the barn) all added up to a pretty good deal. I wasn't sure whether she would handle being in a multi-cat household, as her previous experiences with other cats had not been too good, but she has maintained a peaceable, though standoffish, relationship with the rest of the gang.

Callie's vet check when she moved in showed that she has FIV, the feline AIDS virus. Among cats it is most often spread through bit wounds, and she probably got it during one of her tangles with the aforementioned tomcats at the barn. FIV-positive cats can often live out a fairly normal life if kept indoors and not stressed, so I am hoping for the best for Callie. So far, her health has been good.

Callie has stuck to her nocturnal habits, long established during her barn life. She sleeps most of the day, and is active at night, bouncing happily around the house. Since moving in, she has learned to play with toys -- but only if she thinks I'm not watching her. If she catches me peeking, she immediately becomes very dignified and completely ignores the toy she had just been batting around. She has also become more tolerant of being picked up and cuddled occasionally, though she's not likely to become a lap-cat.