Apollo's House-the Story of Apollo The Cat

Somewhere in early 2000 we had an influx of FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) cats and we did  not have the space we needed to accommodate them all. We began searching for ideas and a way to expand our space to help more FIV cats. FIV is a 'lentivirus' which means a 'slow virus'. It is in the same retrovirus family as Feline Leukemia but differs in many ways. It is not easily spread, but we still needed a separate space for these special kits to occupy. We found an animal friendly mobile home dealer and we 'stalked' many mobile homes. After 'touring' twelve homes, I determined that the third home we had been through was purrfect for the kits. It is a 16x80' long home and is called Apollo's House after a street feral who came into our lives as a 'street cat' in our town who ate at our feeding station behind our office/thrift shop. We watched him for over ten years, at first assuming he belonged to someone as he would head up the stairs of a nearby apartment regularly. We watched him escort new young kits across the street to teach them the safety of the road.We watched him proudly walk the streets minding his own business. He had no idea that he had anyone who cared about him, nor would that probably have mattered. He was a beautiful Siamese with blue eyes and if we did not see him for two days I would worry outloud that 'something has happened to him'.... then he would appear, tall and proud, strutting the streets. Our efforts to trap him failed. He was 'trap smart' and our patience did not go on for years as HIS did. One fall day I found him laying under the bushes behind our office, tired, beaten and with a horribly swollen leg. He looked suddenly old. My heart went out to him. And once again, I put out the trap with some delicious smelling fishy canned food, and, lo and behold, our big proud street wise cat went into the trap. He was desperate. We named him Apollo as he deserved a solid strong name. His wounds healed, he tested positive for FIV, and he lived with us another year or two. He never allowed us to pet him or touch him much, but he seemed very grateful for the warmth of inside for the winter months and the cozy beds he could lounge in in his 'retirement from the streets'.
We named our new 'cat house' mobile home Apollo's House in his memory. He never got a chance to live there, and I doubt if he would care if we named it after him. But, he will always be a part of our lives and memories because we grew to know and love him over the ten years on the streets of our town.
Apollo's House has two outdoor screened in 'catios' for the kits to go out in and sun in the sun and feel the breeze and watch their 'outdoor TV's' with real birds and squirrels...
Apollo-we will always..... remember you.