Pretty Penny

We had seen her around for the last few weeks, maybe just before Christmas. A tiny thing, elusive, just a glimpse here and there.
We were concerned for her safety, but there really was nothing we could do.
After all, we thought she was feral.
Then a few days ago, Ted said he thought she was living under our house.
Yesterday, she came slowly up the stairs to our deck, only to run away as Ted approached.
Today, she came all the way up to the top step and pressed her head into the opening on the gate, unfazed by Merle's presence. This time, she didn't retreat far.
 She was hungry, and hurting. Starving, in fact.
Ted called me out to see her, and I brought a dish of cat food. She went for it and I picked her up, and knew right away that she was in dire need when I felt her backbone and the matted hair above a wound on her back.
I brought her in and had a good look at her.

I clipped the matted hair and found a very nasty, abscessed wound.

It was plain that we needed to take her to the vet, so we loaded her up and headed for Bonner's Ferry, Idaho. (How about that 70's lino in my bathroom? ) I wrapped her in a towel, and put her in a cat carrier- she was quiet for the whole trip.
I thought maybe the resident barn owls, or the red-tailed hawks had done this to her, but one look at her and the vet said that she had been attacked by a tomcat; we have several feral tomcats in this area, and they had been hanging out at the big haystacks 50 yards from our home. One day about a week ago I had heard some yowling, so that is probably when it happened.
 Anyway, once the vet was done and had given her a long lasting antibiotic shot, we brought her home. As you can see by the following photo, they shaved her wounds, which were quite extensive. The pus is gone and all cleaned out now all I have to do is keep the wound open and draining, and give her as much kitten chow as she desires.

 I really don't think she is feral, because she doesn't mind being handled- which likely means someone dropped her off here.

For a couple of reasons, I named her Pretty Penny. We do have someone who is willing to adopt her once she is healthy, but I don't know... I kinda like her and she seems to really like me. She climbs up on me to cuddle. Awwww! We shall see.