On a Saturday back in late fall Spence and I helped friends move to a town about half an hour away from TP. We spent that morning and most of the afternoon making trips between the house and moving truck. It was during one of those trips that a friendly kitten caught my attention. She was extremely skinny and amazingly affectionate; this was no barn cat. She leaned into me and let me take photos within the first minute I knew her.
We were told she was a stray and that two weeks prior she had been extremely emaciated. So much so that a gentleman living nearby had taken to leaving a bowl of yogurt and scraps out for her (the home he lives in has a strict no pets policy). She'd stuck around ever since and while she wasn't packing on weight, at least she wasn't losing any more.
With temperatures set to dip below freezing within days, Spence and I started talking about what we could do to help. With her weight being so low and no warm place to sleep, we were sure she was at risk of death. That afternoon I made a few calls and a neighbour in the city agreed to take her in temporarily while we found her a new home. It was a go! Spence and I picked up a crate and collar that afternoon, but because we didn't have a place to keep her overnight, we decided not to pick her up until Sunday evening when we were heading home. We couldn't risk taking her to the cabin with the dogs because we weren't sure how they'd get along, nor did we know if she had fleas or any other issues.
By the time we headed out on Sunday night, the sun had set and a heavy, cold rain was blasting the area. We thought we'd never find the cat we were now calling Sweetie. Despite it being a 30 minute detour, we decided to give it a try anyway. Once we arrived, we took deep breaths, pulled up our hoods and set out to find her. I hadn't taken two steps away from the car when I heard a meek meow. Then another. My eyes darted around in the dark trying to locate the source of the sound through the pitter-patter of the rain. There she was, standing four feet away from me on the stairs that lead to the front door. She'd come to greet us.
We didn't know what to expect when we tried to put her in her carrier since most cats will fight you tooth and nail to avoid that fate. Spence put on his work gloves and picked her up. She went limp. She made no attempt to stop him as he slowly guided her into what would be her new home for the next three hours. As he closed the door, she curled up into the towel we'd put in there and closed her eyes.
She didn't make a peep the whole way home. I think she knew she was finally safe and grateful to be warm.
Sweetie fit in at her foster's mom's house from the very beginning. She didn't fight with the other three cats opting to be a cuddlebug instead. Within two weeks, she'd been checked out by a vet (she got a clean bill of health!), had her shots, was spayed, and most importantly, she found a permanent home with two amazing people who renamed her "Brave" in honour of her story. They post photos of her once in a while which always make me smile. It's clear she's living a very happy life now and what could be better than that? She certainly earned it.
