When I was a child I had of habit of collecting strays, so I wasn't constantly sneaking animals in the house. Lol, my mom would check my room, the garage, and the basement every night to make sure I hadn't snuck something in.
Usually we would have to take the animals to the Humane Society [ I visit the shelter monthly and volunteer all the time, a lot of the old workers have known me since those days as kid] but she would let me keep one every once in awhile. The first was a cat that I allowed my baby brother to name, he decided on Brassy. Brassy was a character. She could often get into fights with the other neighborhood cats, go on day long adventures...returning randomly a few mornings later, scratching at the door. She loved to follow me when I went to our creek to catch snakes.
Sadly, she was hit by a drunk driver. It was devastating =[