Awwww Harv. Sorry about your cat and what you've been going through
because of "The Cat King of your neighborhood". Your post did remind
me of a cat in my former neighborhood.

I drove up on the lot of my duplex, at the time, and a cat I'd never
seen was there. As I got out of the truck this cat came prancing over
to me as only a cat can. He started rubbing my ankles and making all
the cat noises they can make, plus purring. I've never been a real cat
person. I don't have anything against cats but I've never owned one.
I've always been a dog person.

When I walked up to the front door this cat followed me and just
walked in like he owned the place. Very unlike me just to let a stray
animal in my house. I left the door open and thought he might be
hungry even though he was plenty plump. I figured one of the neighbors
owened him and I had just never noticed him before now.

I went into the kitchen and got a can of dog food out. When I started
opening the dog food he again started rubbing my ankles and purring. I
put the food on a paper plate for him. As I started down with it he
stood on his back legs and started pawing at the air wanting to see
what I had on that plate.

While he was getting his fill I was sitting in an easy chair watching
TVand reading the paper. When he finished with what he wanted he again
came to me and rubbed on my ankles and purred. He then ended up
between my feet, rolled over on his back, stretched he feet out and
went to sleep. I really thought he was a neighbors cat. After just a
bit he just got up and headed for the door which I had left open. He
then went out and just walked on down the street.

Later, my neighbor next door came home with her two boys, ages 8 and
11. I ask her whose cat that was and she told me she didn't know but
the cat would come over and her youngest son would pick him up and
carry him around like a sack of potatoes. He had named the cat "Fat
Cat". He never scratched the boy or anything. Was always friendly with
him no matter how he carried him.

Ended up he was a neighborhood cat that nobody owned and he just went
door to door getting a little food here and there. I'd notice him all
the time after that and he would always come in and head for the
kitchen. I would always feed him.  I did buy a few cans a cat food
from time to time after I became familiar with him.

Later on a neighbor just took him in permanently and I didn't see much
of him after that. When he did get outside and I drove up, here he
would come. Always friendly and showing a great amount of affection. I
was glad he finally had a home but none of us knew where he came from
or how he had gotten by before he found us. My next door neighbor said
he was just a neighborhood cat and always got a kick out of that cat
stealing a piece my heart. He had to have been raised by someone and
how he ended up where we lived always remained a mystery to us all.

I moved from the neighborhood about 2 years ago and haven't seen Fat
Cat since then but if he's still alive you can bet he's still being
affectionate with someone, somewhere. Nice cat and this is a true
story. Fat cat had me wrapped around his little paw.

Have a Merry Christmas Harv.