After my beloved cat BooBoo crossed the rainbow bridge last year, I decided to adopt a new cat so that my remaining cat , Wershie, would not get lonely. I am a firm believer that most animals are happier in pairs so I set off the find the perfect companion for my 10 year old female tan and beige tiger cat, Wershie.
Since BooBoo was a male cat with a very loving and laid back personality, I wanted to find a cat that was similar. I set out with high hopes, but knowing I'd never find another "BooBoo". He was truly a one of a kind cat. You can read more about him in this post: https://steemit.com/story/@sabrin514/the-booboo-cat-has-crossed-the-rainbow-bridge
Since the animal rescue group that I had adopted both BooBoo and Wershie from no longer appeared to be operating, I began my search online with rescue groups and shelters. I saw a picture of a large male light grey tiger cat and emailed about him. The response came back quickly that he was available and we set off to have a visit with him.
Sure enough, as promised, the cat was a real greeter type and met us at the door. He seemed nice enough as we sat with him and played a bit, but something was just missing. I also noticed that he was really quick to scratch and bite if he got annoyed. Not hard, but I didn't like it. We left empty handed with a promise to let the group know in a few days if we wanted the cat.
We then made the rounds of a local shelter and found a 6 month old solid black kitten. He was very active and playful. He literally bounced around the room and leaped 4 feet straight up into a window to watch the lady that worked at the shelter taking her cigarette break. Then my boyfriend decided to pick him up and he loved that and was purring up a storm. We decided that we would take the cat and pick him up on the weekend so we could spend the day with him in his new home.
Although I really liked this young cat, I started worrying that my resident cat, who was now 10 years old, would be less than appreciative at a very bouncy and hyper youngster invading her home, especially since she still seemed to be a bit depressed about the loss of BooBoo. I continued looking around online and saw a picture of a cat half flopped over with his smiling green eyes twinkling at the camera. The cat was at another shelter that was a bit of a drive, but I decided to meet this cat before making a final decision.
I emailed about this cat, whose name was listed as "Goose" and worried because the listing was from 4 months before. Fortunately this was a no-kill shelter, so he was still there. When I got to the shelter, it was basically a medium sized room lined with cat trees, shelves, and cat beds where the cats were all running loose. I looked around but did not see Goose.
The people working there were expecting me so they began to shake a bag of treats and suddenly Goose came out from under one of the cat trees. He was a pretty cat, but seemed a little skittish. He came out for the treats and then went right back into the tree. There was another lady and her daughter there looking for a a cat also and lots of commotion so I couldn't completely blame Goose for hiding.
After luring Goose out several times with treats, one of the staff had me sit in a chair and placed him on my lap. He seemed friendly but uncomfortable. Then the volunteer dog walkers came in through the door and Goose immediately took off back to his hiding place. I was disheartened and told the staff that I was not sure this cat was the right one for me because I wanted a calm outgoing cat that would help my female at home gain confidence (since she was a little timid).
One of the staff explained to me that Goose had been with a person since he was a kitten, but his owner had to move and could not take the cat with them. Also, shortly before being brought into the shelter, he has been attacked by a dog and injured. The staff said they had been working with him to get him not to fear dogs and they felt he would be outgoing and not skittish in a home.
I felt bad for this cat because it seemed like he went through a lot. I decided to take him home on trial to make sure he would get along with my resident cat. He meowed all the way home - and it was a long drive. When we got there, I turned him loose and he and Wershie sniffed and then began batting each other with one paw only. Then he began walking around and I noticed he was limping badly. I called he shelter and they said that the leg was permanently damaged from the dog attack and he would always have the limp because of nerve damage.
I was nervous that this issue would cause problems and cost me extra money in vet bills, but bother the shelter vet and my vet said he was okay. My family and friends told me I should take him back to the shelter and get a different cat. I guess disability discrimination in humans even extends to animals.
All I could think of is my own personal struggles and losing my hearing suddenly a few years earlier. I thought of how horrible I felt and how people treated me differently. I had felt sorry for myself and shed many tears. This cat on the other hand had also suddenly become disabled. He had been abandoned by his former owner. Yet this kitty was not feeling sorry for himself at all. He was way too busy trying to explore my house and get Wershie to play. I decided that there was no way I could send this cat back to the animal shelter. (Below, he makes himself comfortable in his new home.)
Today Simba (I renamed him) and Wershie get along well. Simba thinks he is a dog and will try to follow you everywhere, He loves to play and to be pet and his purr is so loud that it sounds like a roost of pigeons in the attic. I'm very glad that I found this fantastic cat and that he is part of our furry family now. Although we all miss BooBoo and will always remember him, I know that the BooBoo cat (below right with Wershie) is looking down on us from kitty heaven and he is smiling.
