What led me to adopting a shelter cat
My husband and I had been living together for five years and married one year. We wanted to grow our family and felt that we could share our love and lives with a cat. Neither of us had owned a cat before. After doing research and learning about the abundance of abandoned, feral, unwanted adult cats left at local shelters and rescues, we decided we would go to a shelter rather than a breeder or pet store.
How many visits did you make before adopting?
I visited a local rescue shelter for 2-3 hours, once a week for the duration of five weeks. I played with all the cats and kittens there and gauged their personalities. There were some cats that were free roaming and others that generally stayed in their crates but could be taken out. The kittens of course were the cutest but I knew I wanted to adopt an adult cat because they have the toughest time finding homes.
There was Felix, a playful tuxedo cat, who loved to roam the open room and roll around high up on the cat tree. He loved to show off his belly and was super friendly. He came to the shelter underweight and malnourished because his previous owner could not take care of him. He shared his crate with Vang, a white tabby-mix who was really shy. Vang was found as a stray and came to the rescue shelter after he experienced some tough times with other cats at the local Humane Society. Vang never came out of the crate and would never allow me to pick him up but would always stand right inside the door hoping for a hand to pet him. If I pet too hard, he would nip me to stop but when I stopped, he would purr for more. Every week I visited, I played with other cats but was always drawn to Felix and Vang.
The two were such a dynamic duo, I could not resist them. I went to the shelter intending to adopt only one cat but ended up adopting two cats - crate mates.
Advice
- Make sure you have the money to maintain vet appointments, shots, etc. Some shelters provide some medical services (i.e. spaying/neutering and shots) but to keep a healthy cat requires that an owner maintain and update medical appointments as needed (i.e. many shots are required annually, not just once).
- Know the history of your cat (if possible). Felix had a previous owner so initially we believed he may have had a good and easy life. Upon reading his history papers, we found that Felix's previous owner did not take good care of him so he was underweight and malnourished when he came to the shelter.
My Cat's Name and Age at Adoption
At the shelter, I thought Vang was timid but realize now that he is a tough, street-smart cat. He hides not because he is scared but so he can assess whether he can trust people. He has come to trust us and is very loyal. He is like a sentry, following us and standing guard where ever we go.
The Mutual Bond I Share With my Cat
Felix gives the best massages. He will sit on my lap for hours as I'm watching TV or sleeping and knead, knead, knead.
Significant Benefits of our Relationship
After a long day, it's great to get a massage from Felix and to have Vang listen as I share my day. I feel grateful to be able to provide them both a home after what they had both been through.
