A RESCUE CAT FINDS A HOME

LUCKY ME!

Pretty Girl

Months ago I lost my beautiful calico, Pretty Girl, due to heart failure. I had adopted her as a senior from a foster home in partnership with the local cat shelter. She was a darling cat and I still miss her. (See my post on this site of July 19, 2024: VOTE FOR SENIORS!)

About two months ago, I felt I was ready to adopt a new feline friend.

We visited the rescue center near our home and were welcomed by caring staff members. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the shelter, and the priority staff members put on their cats’ and dogs’ health and safety when finding a new home. The forms were thorough as I established my history with my previous cats.

The shelter had taken in a number of cats who had been rescued from a hoarding situation, as well as some feral cats. As I walked through one of the rooms, I saw that the cats had the freedom to roam their one large room and socialize with other cats and staff. The room and litter pans were kept clean.

Cuddles Emerges From Her Hiding Place

As I walked past one tabby, reclining on her cat tree couch in the sun, she made that funny trilling sound that some cats make. I stopped to pet her and she just rolled and rolled, purring and reaching her little white paws out to me. She was a young cat, probably under two. She had had a recent veterinarian health check.

So, yes, I fell in love with her. She seemed quite happy to expose her lovely white tummy to me and that did it. Having been pre-approved a week earlier, I signed the papers and took her home.

I called her Cuddles, because that is what she does.

When I first brought her to my apartment, she hid in a small box with a blanket. It took about two weeks before she emerged to a larger room. I noticed that even while she was hiding, she allowed me to greet her lightly under her chin while she sniffed my hand, purred, trilled hello, and stretched.

When she walked cautiously into the living room, ready to flee at any moment. I offered her a catnip mouse. She was afraid of it! I tried a soft ball. “No, thank you,” she seemed to say. It dawned on me that if her background was either outside or in a small area with many other cats, she perhaps had never played before with a human.

Gradually, when I threw the mouse or the ball, or dangled a string, she began to bat at the toy. Now she loves fetching her toys and chasing after them. She had never learned how to play with toys like these. And there was another aspect of life in her new home that was and is simply fun to watch.

Cat videos! When I first introduced flitting birds or silly cats, she hid under the couch. Ever so slowly she emerged and watched from under the fabric. Now, of course, she loves her daily dose of cat tv. She doesn’t try to catch a bird, but she gets very excited at the possibilities. Kittens are her favorite to watch as they tumble and play.

Now Cuddles seems completely at home, unless she is not telling me something. She knows when bedtime arrives and will often remind me as she makes a tiny meowing sound and curls up on the quilt.

I wanted to share my story of Cuddles because I believe I have given her a better life than she had previously. And I want to salute the volunteers, professionals and donors who keep our pet shelters safe and available to prospective owners.

Just make an appointment! You don’t have to commit to bringing home a cat or a dog. (Yeah, right!)

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THANK YOU to all of my new and current readers! A special thank you to my educator and student readers from around the world!

FELINE ONLINE AND THE MAZE OF THE MINOTAUR continues with Chapter Twelve, scheduled for Friday, May 16.

All of my cat lore posts and all book chapters of FELINE ONLINE AND THE CATS OF ANCIENT EGYPT and FELINE ONLINE AND THE RULE OF CATS are FREE to both free and paid subscribers. Chapters of Book 3: FELINE ONLINE AND THE MAZE OF THE MINOTAUR are free.

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CREDITS: Cover Illustration: Tamara Clark

Book chapter illustrations: Tamara Clark and Rosetta Clark-Smith

Photos of Pretty Girl and Cuddles: Elyse Cregar