Pet rescue and adoption stories fascinate me. My heart melts when I hear a rescue story and how someone chooses an animal, or rather how an animal chooses THEIR person.
Did something ‘click’, was it love at first sight?
Actually both human AND pet rescue stories fascinate me but this one right here is all about Robby, my newest kitty friend and how I adopted her (or maybe she adopted me?). If you’ve ever been picked by an animal, read on, you’ll enjoy the story!
So how did I end up with another cat? It’s really rather simple. She actually chose me.
How I Ended Up With Another Cat – A Rescue Story
Monday was like any other day. I checked my calendar to see what pet sitting visits were on the books, took care of my dogs and cats, got ready, visited clients and then went to my mechanic to have him look at my van.
As the van was getting serviced I heard the dogs next door at the animal shelter barking. In the back of my mind I thought, ‘I wonder if they need any volunteers today?’ It was almost 4:00 and I had another appointment around 5:30, it would be wise to stay on this side of town instead of backtracking.
After the mechanic made my van purr again, we exchanged pleasantries and I drove around the corner, little did I know my day was about to change…
So I signed in and asked if they needed any volunteers. The ladies behind the counter said enthusiastically, “We ALWAYS need volunteers!” and one handed me a leash and she proceeded to tell the story of the three dogs I was about to meet.
Back in March or so the dogs’ mom wasn’t feeling well. The 40-something year old mom, wife and grandma went to the doctor because she was having chest pains. The doctors checked her over, ran their tests and sent her home with some meds.
A couple months later she still wasn’t feeling well. She went back to the doctor. After more tests, poking and prodding, they discovered she had stage 4 breast cancer. It metastasized and spread to her lungs and all her lymph nodes. Nothing could be done.
She spent her final days at home with her family and her furbabies but her life ended just a few days ago and her dogs were brought to the shelter.
These dogs lost their mom and the only family they ever knew. The two little long-haired Dachsunds are adorable. You can tell their mom kept them groomed and they were loved. Their brother is a younger Hound mix, full of energy and full of love. When his sisters would get out of his sight, he’d whimper and search for them.
I arrived at the shelter at 4pm and took the dogs out to the play yard. While they romped and played I just sat back and thought about their mom, a woman I never met, and thought about my dogs. Where would my dogs (and cats) go when I pass away? Would my family bring them to the shelter or try and would one bring them into their home to live out their final days?
A faint meow brought me back to the present.
A meow that was high pitched, yet distant.
I looked around. I couldn’t see a cat but knew one was out there watching us in the play yard.
When one of the animal shelter workers came out, I asked him if there was a cat outside somewhere and he pointed towards the wooded area. “Cats are always in the woods.”
“Strays?” I asked.
“Yep,” said the shelter worker. I felt a lump start to form in my throat.
I went back to playing with the three dogs and kept looking towards the meowing sound. Finally a little black kitten popped out from the woods and ran under a car. He kept crying and looking longingly at us. The black kitty didn’t seem entirely black. The tips of his hair looked grey from my vantage point and he had huge green eyes. I could see his white whiskers.
Around 5:00pm I looked at my watch and thought I should start taking these three dogs back into their kennel run. Each time I returned a dog had to pass three or four other kennel runs where one or two dogs barked and vied for my attention. My focus was to get these three in and on my final trip out, I’d pay each of the lonely dogs a short visit.
In one kennel, two older, black and white Jack Russell mixes cowered in their kennel. They’d look at me but when I’d approach, they scamper away.
Next to them a larger black dog with cherry eye wiggled and rubbed his head on my hand on the fence.
The third kennel housed two dogs. One looked to be a senior pit bull, reddish colored hair with a grey muzzle. She was super friendly and loved the little attention I was giving her. Her kennel mate was just as excited and happy to have a visitor.
On down were other dogs. A German Shepherd, some Beagles and other mix breeds. Most were excited to see me and was eager to lick my hand, rub on the fence, try to get close to me.
My heart was breaking for these dogs and I wondered if any of them had stories like the three I had in the play yard. Were they once loved but brought here because their mom or dad died? Did they ever have a family to love or were they tied up outside at the end of a chain 24/7?
I dried my tears up and walked back inside to tell the shelter workers THANKS for doing all they do. This is a job I could never do because I’d be a crying basket case every. single. day. At this time it was about 5:10.
At about the same time I went to open my van door and a woman who had just picked up a dog from the shelter was carrying a white cat. She was headed straight towards me! I asked what she was doing and she asked if I’d take the cat back inside, she thought it was a shelter cat. So I tried. A shelter worker came outside and I asked if the kitty belongs to them. She didn’t. She’s one of the ‘feral’ cats at the property which get fed daily but run around the neighborhood.
The thing is, the kitty wasn’t feral at all! She was extremely lovable. She laid on my lap, curled up around my neck, purred, kneaded and just wanted to be loved on. She was working on making her rescue story come true.
About 5:20 I stood up and glanced over to where I saw the little black kitten last. He wasn’t there. I put the white cat down and started to walk towards my van. Two women walked out from the dog kennel area and saw the affectionate white kitty. A long-haired woman picked her up and said how beautiful she was. She asked me what was going on, I told her she’s just a stray cat that the shelter feeds. The long-haired woman wanted to take her home but couldn’t. I said I couldn’t. The three of us just shook our heads and let out a sigh of disgust and frustration. They left. The tears fell again.
I watched the woman with long-hair look towards us until they were out of sight. I put the cat down on the sidewalk and started to leave, again.
But something stopped me.
I felt prompted to look across the street and there it was. The black kitten. DEAD! My heart dropped and the tears fell faster.
The little black kitty had gotten enough nerve up to cross the parking lot, walk right past us and in the midst of dealing with the white cat, the dogs, talking to the ladies, I didn’t see him, none of us saw him. I walked inside and told the staff; one came out and picked up the lifeless little baby.
Was the black kitty trying to make his way over to me but got spooked? Was he one of the feral cats the shelter feeds everyday?
I immediately picked up the white cat and she snuggled into my arms and began purring. I couldn’t leave her behind.
So, that’s how I ended up another cat. The cat named Robby. I thought it would be fitting to name her after the great actor, Robin Williams, God rest his soul.
When I look at Robby I’ll think of the shy, black kitten with tips of grey and the three dogs that were left without their mom and family. Robby found love and a forever home. I hope the same happens with the three motherless dogs.
Open your heart. Three gorgeous companion animals lost their mom and need a forever home and there’s dozens of other pets that are waiting on someone to love them. There are hundreds, even thousands of feral and stray cats walking our streets. Help them if you’re able. Winter is about to be upon us and they can use some guardian angels to help keep them warm and fed. Set up a cat house outside, if you need help, contact me. Put fresh food and water out daily if you can afford to.
Maybe adopt. Create a rescue story of your own!
Yes, another cat or dog means more food, more vaccinations, more vet care, more work, more litter boxes, more toys and treats. In exchange you’ll get tons more love and laughter, and you’ll be saving a life.
The dogs in this article are up for adoption at:
- Muncie Animal Shelter
- 765-747-4851
- Address is 2401 S. Gharkey Street, Muncie, IN
Go adopt a pet,
Kelley Stewart, CEO|Pet Sitter
sit-stay-play In-home pet sitting & more.LLC
