Five years ago today, I brought this scaredy cat home:
She wasn't impressed. Or happy. Chloe's guesstimated age was seven months. She'd been found with her littermates by a dumpster, and taken in by the MEOW Foundation on December 15, 2008. Her brother and sister found forever homes fairly quickly, but Chloe was shy and the 18 people who'd previously asked to see her had decided not to adopt her. I looked at that scared baby and knew that I had to bring her home.
She wasn't impressed. Or happy. Chloe's guesstimated age was seven months. She'd been found with her littermates by a dumpster, and taken in by the MEOW Foundation on December 15, 2008. Her brother and sister found forever homes fairly quickly, but Chloe was shy and the 18 people who'd previously asked to see her had decided not to adopt her. I looked at that scared baby and knew that I had to bring her home.
Once I let her out of the storage closet, she found a hiding hole behind a cupboard in my kitchen. She seriously freaked me out when 48 hours went by without me seeing her - I was very worried that she wasn't okay. I needed to see that she was alive. Finally she appeared so that I could see her - then she hid under the bed. Since I covered up the hole in the cupboard.
For quite a while, she kept her distance from me. She had this crazy idea I was an axe murderer. Even though I have nothing against axes.
When Chloe began to relax, she entered her second kittenhood. She ran around the apartment and quickly slimmed down from her activity of climbing up high and knocking stuff down. All the while making sure I didn't get close to her.
She was my third cat to play on the cat tree - and the first that I ever saw get to the top level.
I was eventually able to play with her - from a distance.
Chloe and Bonnie were friendly.
And she began to trust me, with the help of treats.
Eventually. Chloe's need to love and to be loved started winning over her fear of me. She will always have her skittish moods, but when she wants a cuddle, SHE WANTS A CUDDLE.
As an adult cat, she revealed her gentle sweetness. Always a little skittish after her feral beginnings, but lovely to be with.
On a terrible day, I had to take Bonnie to an emergency vet and say goodbye. Chloe didn't understand where her friend went, and kept waiting for her to return. We were both broken-hearted.
So Charming Charlie joined us and immediately asserted his alpha status. Most of the time, they co-existed okay but there were a lot of fights.
With Bonnie gone, Chloe took on the responsibility of sitting on suitcases and making me feel guilty about leaving.
Charlie and Chloe needed an intervention and they got one - in the form of Hermione.
Overwhelmed by Hermione's kitten levels of enthusiasm, Chloe started making friendly overtures to Charlie, in a "it's us against that brat that keeps attacking our tails" way.
Like most kittens, Hermione would not take "no" for an answer, and with a calmer approach, snuggled her way into Chloe's good graces.
And so Chloe went on being the gentle sweetheart she is.
Her peace was shattered when I bought a townhouse and moved her away from the only home she'd known.
But with all of the interesting windows around, Chloe adjusted. as did Hermione and Charlie.
She is very good at tracking spiders.
Hermione remains her nap-buddy. Charlie and Chloe do get along much better now, but they don't co-sleep.
Chloe likes to sleep on the back of the couch, and if she props her paws in my hair, or just puts them on top of my head, I'm supposed to put up with it.
I went away last month. My petsitter texted me photos of the cats every day. This is where he found Chloe most days - under my bed.
When I returned, Chloe employed some fierce head-butts to tell me I was missed. :-)
She does like me very much most of the time.
Except tonight. When I wanted to take a picture celebrating five years together. She was not co-operative, not even with an extra helping of canned food to mark the occasion. Because she is a cat. :-)
And such a darling cat she is.
For quite a while, she kept her distance from me. She had this crazy idea I was an axe murderer. Even though I have nothing against axes.
When Chloe began to relax, she entered her second kittenhood. She ran around the apartment and quickly slimmed down from her activity of climbing up high and knocking stuff down. All the while making sure I didn't get close to her.
She was my third cat to play on the cat tree - and the first that I ever saw get to the top level.
I was eventually able to play with her - from a distance.
Chloe and Bonnie were friendly.
And she began to trust me, with the help of treats.
Eventually. Chloe's need to love and to be loved started winning over her fear of me. She will always have her skittish moods, but when she wants a cuddle, SHE WANTS A CUDDLE.
As an adult cat, she revealed her gentle sweetness. Always a little skittish after her feral beginnings, but lovely to be with.
On a terrible day, I had to take Bonnie to an emergency vet and say goodbye. Chloe didn't understand where her friend went, and kept waiting for her to return. We were both broken-hearted.
So Charming Charlie joined us and immediately asserted his alpha status. Most of the time, they co-existed okay but there were a lot of fights.
With Bonnie gone, Chloe took on the responsibility of sitting on suitcases and making me feel guilty about leaving.
Charlie and Chloe needed an intervention and they got one - in the form of Hermione.
Overwhelmed by Hermione's kitten levels of enthusiasm, Chloe started making friendly overtures to Charlie, in a "it's us against that brat that keeps attacking our tails" way.
Like most kittens, Hermione would not take "no" for an answer, and with a calmer approach, snuggled her way into Chloe's good graces.
And so Chloe went on being the gentle sweetheart she is.
Her peace was shattered when I bought a townhouse and moved her away from the only home she'd known.
But with all of the interesting windows around, Chloe adjusted. as did Hermione and Charlie.
She is very good at tracking spiders.
Hermione remains her nap-buddy. Charlie and Chloe do get along much better now, but they don't co-sleep.
Chloe likes to sleep on the back of the couch, and if she props her paws in my hair, or just puts them on top of my head, I'm supposed to put up with it.
I went away last month. My petsitter texted me photos of the cats every day. This is where he found Chloe most days - under my bed.
When I returned, Chloe employed some fierce head-butts to tell me I was missed. :-)
She does like me very much most of the time.
Except tonight. When I wanted to take a picture celebrating five years together. She was not co-operative, not even with an extra helping of canned food to mark the occasion. Because she is a cat. :-)
And such a darling cat she is.
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