While most are busy welcoming the new year, we have been busy welcoming the newest addition to the CKSDR family- Mycroft Holmes. Taking after his namesake, Mycroft is a rather rotund gentleman- far preferring to be waited upon in the Diogenes Club eating his fill than partake in the playful activities of lesser cats- "What," he asks "is the appeal of chasing a feather? That's far too much legwork.".We picked Mycroft up off the streets last night, after a neighbor found him underneath their car and feared he was in the late stages of pregnancy. Upon arrival we found a very chubby, very not-pregnant-neutered-male with a severe upper respiratory infection and mats covering his back end. As soon as we picked him up, Mycroft asked for hugs and delivered several kisses (in a fashion more reminiscent of Stephen Fry's Mycroft than Mark Gatiss') before entering our car and firmly planting himself on the dashboard of.As we drove the few blocks it took us to get home (very slowly, given that there was a cat on our dashboard) Mycroft studied the outside world with an equal amount of curiosity (inherent in a cat) and disdain (inherent in a cat that had been out on the streets far longer than he had intended). And upon arriving, he clung desperately to the nearest person- if they were going inside then so was he.Seeing he was in rough shape, but not all that skinny (as many stray cats become after spending weeks on the streets), we held out hope that he had a home that was missing him. A microchip made our hope a little brighter. And then all our hopes were extinguished when we learned his story. Yes, he did have a family once. But, as far too many people do, they moved away and left him behind because he had a bad habit of scratching the furniture. That was back in September. In the months since, Mycroft faced blizzards, rain, and temperatures well in the single digits- if not below zero. It was nothing short of a miracle that Mycroft- a cat so clearly meant for a life of luxury and an unlimited amount of food- managed to survive on his own for several months, living alone in the alley directly behind what used to be his home.Mycroft's story may break your heart, as well it should. Cats are left behind or "released" far too often, under the strangely common misconception that cats are somehow "wild" or are fully capable of surviving when left to their own devices. This may be true of feral cats (who, even then, often rely on dedicated care takers to insure their health and daily access to fresh food, water, and shelter), but pet cats are quite a different story. When you decide you no longer want your cat, you cannot simply open your door and let them out. You cannot drive them to the mountains and leave them there. Cats depend on us just like any other animal, and are just as confused and saddened when they're left behind. They'll wait for you to come and let them back in- like Mycroft did- or, in the case they're taken somewhere and left, they'll try to return home on their own and often will get hit by cars in the process.We are infinitely grateful for our neighbor, Joey, who made sure that Mycroft got somewhere safe. We are also so thankful to have found a wonderful foster home for this boy. He seems to be well on his way to recovery- already giving us looks of distinct superiority (acquiescing to all our hugs and cuddles and butt scratches with a grudging enjoyment), eating ravenously, and claiming heated beds from unsuspecting elderly dogs.