Anyone who knows me knows that my fur children are very important to me. I have three that I’ve had for 11 years for two, and 9 years for the third. Last summer I got it into my head to foster, because I wanted another cat but knew I didn’t need one. I thought fostering would be a good way to add to my little family without actually adding to it. I figured I’d never have one for more than a couple months before they found their forever home. My first foster last summer, Mushu, a gorgeous little boy with long grey fur and bright yellow eyes, reinforced that idea in my head since he was only with me for two weeks before getting adopted… not long enough to get too attached to let him go. A week after I got him, I brought his sister Molly home as well to foster her. While she is just as precious as can be, I didn’t get a single call about people wanting to meet her. So she stayed, ad stayed some more. When I took her back down to the rescue place in December to get her fixed, she spent a week there. I really thought that she’d find someone during that time to fall in love with her and take her home. It would have been hard, as she’d been with me at least 4 months at that point, but I’d manage to say good bye. So imagine my pleasure and surprise that she still came home with me after her week’s vacation. Fast forward a few months to last Sunday, March 23. I got a call that they wanted to talk to me about Molly and to please call them back. So, I thought, with mixed emotions, this was the end of our time together. Someone chose her to join their family. I was surprised when they said they asked me if I’d be interested in adopting her since I’d had her so long. They just hadn’t gotten any queries about this sweetheart. I admit, the thought had crossed my mind, but I was thinking summer, when she’d have been with me for a year, I’d make ours a permanent arrangement. I had to schedule an appointment to take her to their vet anyhow, since she seems to have some severe skin allergies. So on Thursday I drove her down there to leave her overnight for her appointment Friday.
When I arrived, they asked me if I’d decided whether or not to keep her. I told them I’d been considering it as an option this summer. I do love that little girl and it would be so hard to give her up, but knowing she was going to a good home would help ease my sorrow at saying good bye. I also told them if I did adopt her, I couldn’t foster again for a while. I would be hesitant to bring another cat into the home, even temporarily, in my apartment but I’m hoping to buy my own home this summer and at that time I could foster again. I told them my biggest concern though was I didn’t have adoption fees right now due to unexpected expenses (i.e. taxes due). That is a non-issue. Since I’ve had her so long, the fees are waived. Part of the reason they asked me to adopt her was because if I didn’t, she’d be going to another rescue organization to see if they would have better luck finding her a home. She wouldn’t be leaving me for a family, she’d be leaving me for a rescue group, possibly not even a foster home. Well that clinched it for me! I couldn’t allow for her to be taken away from a loving home only to sit somewhere else, alone and scared and feeling abandoned while we hoped someone would keep her.
So it’s official. Molly will be living with me permanently! I had even settled on a new name for her for if I did adopt her later this year. Now, little Miss Molly is Cleopatra, Cleo for short, in keeping with my theme of Egyptian or Egyptian sounding names for my babies. Also, as you can see in the photos, she’s a brown tabby/white. I love the shapes of her coloring and her little white face that goes up to a point, as if she’s got her fur parted in the middle. But she also has stripes that run right up to the corner of her eyes and line the lower lid, as if she’s wearing eye makeup.
Now, this is where I am going to give my public service announcement for the week. You had to know this was coming if you’re still reading. PLEASE please PLEASE, if you are considering adding furry children to your home, consider a rescue. There are SOOO many homeless animals out there with every bit as much love to give, if not more, as any store bought or breeder bought animal. These homeless fur babies deserve love too. Many of them had homes of their own for a while but were then abandoned, for any number of reasons (none of which are good if you ask me). Some have never known what it feels like to be loved, and that is just plain sad. There are so many organizations out there who can tell you all the ways rescuing IS better.
All of my children are rescues and they couldn’t be more wonderful. So the below message is from Queen Sheba, scaredy-cat but mellow Aker, wild man Amun, and now darling Cleo, and me…
Remember…
If you can’t adopt – foster…
If you can’t foster – sponsor…
If you can’t sponsor – volunteer…
If you can’t volunteer – donate…
If you can’t donate – educate, network, and cross post…
Everyone can do something, large or small, to help save a life…
