For Adopted Cats-Ever Wonder What Their Life Was Like Before You Adopted Them?

"CajunPrincess" wrote in message
om...
I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.


Yes, I do sometimes wonder what my cats' lives were like, and also if they
remember it. From what little I do know, I *hope* (in some circumstances)
that they do not have a memory of "those days." First, think of Duffy. He
is blind, and I have already written about him many times -- so, it should
not come as news to this group that he is an incredible, wonderful, charming
little guy and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do.
Nevertheless, he had previously been adopted from the same shelter where I
found him. The woman who adopted him kept him for *2 years,* then returned
him to the shelter (a *kill* shelter where they normally keep cats for 2
weeks). She said that he is "a wonderful cat" (which he definitely is) but
that "he found a way to get to her pet birds and had killed one" -- and,
more remarkable, that he was "training her sighted to cat to get to the
birds"! What incredible junk! Luckily, the shelter staff did their very
best to keep Duffy alive. He had been there for several months when I saw
his picture on Petfinder. He was thin, scruffy, and looked like a little
old man (but was later estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old). I can't
believe my good luck (and his) that he was still alive, and I do sometimes
wonder about what kind of monster would do that to such an exceptionally
loving and well-behaved little guy.

Then there's Holly. I am going to post a message about her in a couple of
days because June 1 will be her 9th birthday. In brief, she was "created"
by a breeder who mixed an Oriental Shorthair and a Persian because she had
an idea about a specific type of cat that she wanted to develop. Moreover,
this "new cat" had to be dusty gray, but Holly is black. Because of that
color "defect" (in the idiot breeder's mind), Holly was going to be
destroyed. A woman who worked in a local pet supply store convinced the
breeder to let her foster the cat and try to find a home for her -- and that
is where I came into the picture. In this case, I know Holly would have had
good care from the foster mother, but I wonder what life was like for her
until that transition was made.

One more I will mention is Amber (RB). Amber had been declawed on *all four
paws,* and it was really a butcher's job. The people who had her talked
about how much they loved her, but they had a 13 month old child and were
expecting another; so they were going to be "compelled" to put Amber
outdoors (despite having no claws) if they couldn't find another home for
her. They warned me when I went to look at her that it would probably take
a long time to get her to come out because she was so frightened of people
that she always went into hiding. Incredibly, she ran across the room and
literally jumped into my lap as soon as I sat down! Of course, she won me
over instantly. I thought at first that the woman who described the
situation was trying to butter me up, but I soon found that Amber really was
frightened of everyone else (a situation that gradually changed, and she
began to love being petted by anyone in her vicinity). It's no wonder she
was so frightened. These people permitted their 13 month old son to pull
her around the room by the tail, so she had learned to disappear as far
under furniture as possible. I think it's rather amazing that she never bit
him because they had already taken her only other means of defense (her
claws). They also said she "wouldn't eat much," and she only weighed 4.5
pounds when I adopted her. That, too, changed quickly; and she became a
gorgeous, loving cat. Again, I think of people like that and find it
unbelievable that they would call themselves "cat lovers" -- and, back to
your question, I used to wonder if Amber could remember those days (and
hoped not). She lived to be 16 years old (the last 3 with IBD and
progressive renal failure, but she was a little angel about accepting her
medical treatment).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

"CajunPrincess" wrote in message
om...
I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.


Yes, I do sometimes wonder what my cats' lives were like, and also if they
remember it. From what little I do know, I *hope* (in some circumstances)
that they do not have a memory of "those days." First, think of Duffy. He
is blind, and I have already written about him many times -- so, it should
not come as news to this group that he is an incredible, wonderful, charming
little guy and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do.
Nevertheless, he had previously been adopted from the same shelter where I
found him. The woman who adopted him kept him for *2 years,* then returned
him to the shelter (a *kill* shelter where they normally keep cats for 2
weeks). She said that he is "a wonderful cat" (which he definitely is) but
that "he found a way to get to her pet birds and had killed one" -- and,
more remarkable, that he was "training her sighted to cat to get to the
birds"! What incredible junk! Luckily, the shelter staff did their very
best to keep Duffy alive. He had been there for several months when I saw
his picture on Petfinder. He was thin, scruffy, and looked like a little
old man (but was later estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old). I can't
believe my good luck (and his) that he was still alive, and I do sometimes
wonder about what kind of monster would do that to such an exceptionally
loving and well-behaved little guy.

Then there's Holly. I am going to post a message about her in a couple of
days because June 1 will be her 9th birthday. In brief, she was "created"
by a breeder who mixed an Oriental Shorthair and a Persian because she had
an idea about a specific type of cat that she wanted to develop. Moreover,
this "new cat" had to be dusty gray, but Holly is black. Because of that
color "defect" (in the idiot breeder's mind), Holly was going to be
destroyed. A woman who worked in a local pet supply store convinced the
breeder to let her foster the cat and try to find a home for her -- and that
is where I came into the picture. In this case, I know Holly would have had
good care from the foster mother, but I wonder what life was like for her
until that transition was made.

One more I will mention is Amber (RB). Amber had been declawed on *all four
paws,* and it was really a butcher's job. The people who had her talked
about how much they loved her, but they had a 13 month old child and were
expecting another; so they were going to be "compelled" to put Amber
outdoors (despite having no claws) if they couldn't find another home for
her. They warned me when I went to look at her that it would probably take
a long time to get her to come out because she was so frightened of people
that she always went into hiding. Incredibly, she ran across the room and
literally jumped into my lap as soon as I sat down! Of course, she won me
over instantly. I thought at first that the woman who described the
situation was trying to butter me up, but I soon found that Amber really was
frightened of everyone else (a situation that gradually changed, and she
began to love being petted by anyone in her vicinity). It's no wonder she
was so frightened. These people permitted their 13 month old son to pull
her around the room by the tail, so she had learned to disappear as far
under furniture as possible. I think it's rather amazing that she never bit
him because they had already taken her only other means of defense (her
claws). They also said she "wouldn't eat much," and she only weighed 4.5
pounds when I adopted her. That, too, changed quickly; and she became a
gorgeous, loving cat. Again, I think of people like that and find it
unbelievable that they would call themselves "cat lovers" -- and, back to
your question, I used to wonder if Amber could remember those days (and
hoped not). She lived to be 16 years old (the last 3 with IBD and
progressive renal failure, but she was a little angel about accepting her
medical treatment).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

"CajunPrincess" wrote in message
om...
I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.


Yes, I do sometimes wonder what my cats' lives were like, and also if they
remember it. From what little I do know, I *hope* (in some circumstances)
that they do not have a memory of "those days." First, think of Duffy. He
is blind, and I have already written about him many times -- so, it should
not come as news to this group that he is an incredible, wonderful, charming
little guy and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do.
Nevertheless, he had previously been adopted from the same shelter where I
found him. The woman who adopted him kept him for *2 years,* then returned
him to the shelter (a *kill* shelter where they normally keep cats for 2
weeks). She said that he is "a wonderful cat" (which he definitely is) but
that "he found a way to get to her pet birds and had killed one" -- and,
more remarkable, that he was "training her sighted to cat to get to the
birds"! What incredible junk! Luckily, the shelter staff did their very
best to keep Duffy alive. He had been there for several months when I saw
his picture on Petfinder. He was thin, scruffy, and looked like a little
old man (but was later estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old). I can't
believe my good luck (and his) that he was still alive, and I do sometimes
wonder about what kind of monster would do that to such an exceptionally
loving and well-behaved little guy.

Then there's Holly. I am going to post a message about her in a couple of
days because June 1 will be her 9th birthday. In brief, she was "created"
by a breeder who mixed an Oriental Shorthair and a Persian because she had
an idea about a specific type of cat that she wanted to develop. Moreover,
this "new cat" had to be dusty gray, but Holly is black. Because of that
color "defect" (in the idiot breeder's mind), Holly was going to be
destroyed. A woman who worked in a local pet supply store convinced the
breeder to let her foster the cat and try to find a home for her -- and that
is where I came into the picture. In this case, I know Holly would have had
good care from the foster mother, but I wonder what life was like for her
until that transition was made.

One more I will mention is Amber (RB). Amber had been declawed on *all four
paws,* and it was really a butcher's job. The people who had her talked
about how much they loved her, but they had a 13 month old child and were
expecting another; so they were going to be "compelled" to put Amber
outdoors (despite having no claws) if they couldn't find another home for
her. They warned me when I went to look at her that it would probably take
a long time to get her to come out because she was so frightened of people
that she always went into hiding. Incredibly, she ran across the room and
literally jumped into my lap as soon as I sat down! Of course, she won me
over instantly. I thought at first that the woman who described the
situation was trying to butter me up, but I soon found that Amber really was
frightened of everyone else (a situation that gradually changed, and she
began to love being petted by anyone in her vicinity). It's no wonder she
was so frightened. These people permitted their 13 month old son to pull
her around the room by the tail, so she had learned to disappear as far
under furniture as possible. I think it's rather amazing that she never bit
him because they had already taken her only other means of defense (her
claws). They also said she "wouldn't eat much," and she only weighed 4.5
pounds when I adopted her. That, too, changed quickly; and she became a
gorgeous, loving cat. Again, I think of people like that and find it
unbelievable that they would call themselves "cat lovers" -- and, back to
your question, I used to wonder if Amber could remember those days (and
hoped not). She lived to be 16 years old (the last 3 with IBD and
progressive renal failure, but she was a little angel about accepting her
medical treatment).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

On Fri, 28 May 2004 11:17:42 -0500, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER wrote:


"CajunPrincess" wrote in message
. com...
I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.


Yes, I do sometimes wonder what my cats' lives were like, and also if they
remember it. From what little I do know, I *hope* (in some circumstances)
that they do not have a memory of "those days." First, think of Duffy. He
is blind, and I have already written about him many times -- so, it should
not come as news to this group that he is an incredible, wonderful, charming
little guy and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do.
Nevertheless, he had previously been adopted from the same shelter where I
found him. The woman who adopted him kept him for *2 years,* then returned
him to the shelter (a *kill* shelter where they normally keep cats for 2
weeks). She said that he is "a wonderful cat" (which he definitely is) but
that "he found a way to get to her pet birds and had killed one" -- and,
more remarkable, that he was "training her sighted to cat to get to the
birds"! What incredible junk! Luckily, the shelter staff did their very
best to keep Duffy alive. He had been there for several months when I saw
his picture on Petfinder. He was thin, scruffy, and looked like a little
old man (but was later estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old). I can't
believe my good luck (and his) that he was still alive, and I do sometimes
wonder about what kind of monster would do that to such an exceptionally
loving and well-behaved little guy.

Then there's Holly. I am going to post a message about her in a couple of
days because June 1 will be her 9th birthday. In brief, she was "created"
by a breeder who mixed an Oriental Shorthair and a Persian because she had
an idea about a specific type of cat that she wanted to develop. Moreover,
this "new cat" had to be dusty gray, but Holly is black. Because of that
color "defect" (in the idiot breeder's mind), Holly was going to be
destroyed. A woman who worked in a local pet supply store convinced the
breeder to let her foster the cat and try to find a home for her -- and that
is where I came into the picture. In this case, I know Holly would have had
good care from the foster mother, but I wonder what life was like for her
until that transition was made.

One more I will mention is Amber (RB). Amber had been declawed on *all four
paws,* and it was really a butcher's job. The people who had her talked
about how much they loved her, but they had a 13 month old child and were
expecting another; so they were going to be "compelled" to put Amber
outdoors (despite having no claws) if they couldn't find another home for
her. They warned me when I went to look at her that it would probably take
a long time to get her to come out because she was so frightened of people
that she always went into hiding. Incredibly, she ran across the room and
literally jumped into my lap as soon as I sat down! Of course, she won me
over instantly. I thought at first that the woman who described the
situation was trying to butter me up, but I soon found that Amber really was
frightened of everyone else (a situation that gradually changed, and she
began to love being petted by anyone in her vicinity). It's no wonder she
was so frightened. These people permitted their 13 month old son to pull
her around the room by the tail, so she had learned to disappear as far
under furniture as possible. I think it's rather amazing that she never bit
him because they had already taken her only other means of defense (her
claws). They also said she "wouldn't eat much," and she only weighed 4.5
pounds when I adopted her. That, too, changed quickly; and she became a
gorgeous, loving cat. Again, I think of people like that and find it
unbelievable that they would call themselves "cat lovers" -- and, back to
your question, I used to wonder if Amber could remember those days (and
hoped not). She lived to be 16 years old (the last 3 with IBD and
progressive renal failure, but she was a little angel about accepting her
medical treatment).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

Have I told you how much I enjoy your thoughtful posts"? If not, I am telling you now.

On Fri, 28 May 2004 11:17:42 -0500, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER wrote:


"CajunPrincess" wrote in message
. com...
I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.


Yes, I do sometimes wonder what my cats' lives were like, and also if they
remember it. From what little I do know, I *hope* (in some circumstances)
that they do not have a memory of "those days." First, think of Duffy. He
is blind, and I have already written about him many times -- so, it should
not come as news to this group that he is an incredible, wonderful, charming
little guy and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do.
Nevertheless, he had previously been adopted from the same shelter where I
found him. The woman who adopted him kept him for *2 years,* then returned
him to the shelter (a *kill* shelter where they normally keep cats for 2
weeks). She said that he is "a wonderful cat" (which he definitely is) but
that "he found a way to get to her pet birds and had killed one" -- and,
more remarkable, that he was "training her sighted to cat to get to the
birds"! What incredible junk! Luckily, the shelter staff did their very
best to keep Duffy alive. He had been there for several months when I saw
his picture on Petfinder. He was thin, scruffy, and looked like a little
old man (but was later estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old). I can't
believe my good luck (and his) that he was still alive, and I do sometimes
wonder about what kind of monster would do that to such an exceptionally
loving and well-behaved little guy.

Then there's Holly. I am going to post a message about her in a couple of
days because June 1 will be her 9th birthday. In brief, she was "created"
by a breeder who mixed an Oriental Shorthair and a Persian because she had
an idea about a specific type of cat that she wanted to develop. Moreover,
this "new cat" had to be dusty gray, but Holly is black. Because of that
color "defect" (in the idiot breeder's mind), Holly was going to be
destroyed. A woman who worked in a local pet supply store convinced the
breeder to let her foster the cat and try to find a home for her -- and that
is where I came into the picture. In this case, I know Holly would have had
good care from the foster mother, but I wonder what life was like for her
until that transition was made.

One more I will mention is Amber (RB). Amber had been declawed on *all four
paws,* and it was really a butcher's job. The people who had her talked
about how much they loved her, but they had a 13 month old child and were
expecting another; so they were going to be "compelled" to put Amber
outdoors (despite having no claws) if they couldn't find another home for
her. They warned me when I went to look at her that it would probably take
a long time to get her to come out because she was so frightened of people
that she always went into hiding. Incredibly, she ran across the room and
literally jumped into my lap as soon as I sat down! Of course, she won me
over instantly. I thought at first that the woman who described the
situation was trying to butter me up, but I soon found that Amber really was
frightened of everyone else (a situation that gradually changed, and she
began to love being petted by anyone in her vicinity). It's no wonder she
was so frightened. These people permitted their 13 month old son to pull
her around the room by the tail, so she had learned to disappear as far
under furniture as possible. I think it's rather amazing that she never bit
him because they had already taken her only other means of defense (her
claws). They also said she "wouldn't eat much," and she only weighed 4.5
pounds when I adopted her. That, too, changed quickly; and she became a
gorgeous, loving cat. Again, I think of people like that and find it
unbelievable that they would call themselves "cat lovers" -- and, back to
your question, I used to wonder if Amber could remember those days (and
hoped not). She lived to be 16 years old (the last 3 with IBD and
progressive renal failure, but she was a little angel about accepting her
medical treatment).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

Have I told you how much I enjoy your thoughtful posts"? If not, I am telling you now.

On Fri, 28 May 2004 11:17:42 -0500, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER wrote:


"CajunPrincess" wrote in message
. com...
I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.


Yes, I do sometimes wonder what my cats' lives were like, and also if they
remember it. From what little I do know, I *hope* (in some circumstances)
that they do not have a memory of "those days." First, think of Duffy. He
is blind, and I have already written about him many times -- so, it should
not come as news to this group that he is an incredible, wonderful, charming
little guy and can do almost anything that a sighted cat can do.
Nevertheless, he had previously been adopted from the same shelter where I
found him. The woman who adopted him kept him for *2 years,* then returned
him to the shelter (a *kill* shelter where they normally keep cats for 2
weeks). She said that he is "a wonderful cat" (which he definitely is) but
that "he found a way to get to her pet birds and had killed one" -- and,
more remarkable, that he was "training her sighted to cat to get to the
birds"! What incredible junk! Luckily, the shelter staff did their very
best to keep Duffy alive. He had been there for several months when I saw
his picture on Petfinder. He was thin, scruffy, and looked like a little
old man (but was later estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old). I can't
believe my good luck (and his) that he was still alive, and I do sometimes
wonder about what kind of monster would do that to such an exceptionally
loving and well-behaved little guy.

Then there's Holly. I am going to post a message about her in a couple of
days because June 1 will be her 9th birthday. In brief, she was "created"
by a breeder who mixed an Oriental Shorthair and a Persian because she had
an idea about a specific type of cat that she wanted to develop. Moreover,
this "new cat" had to be dusty gray, but Holly is black. Because of that
color "defect" (in the idiot breeder's mind), Holly was going to be
destroyed. A woman who worked in a local pet supply store convinced the
breeder to let her foster the cat and try to find a home for her -- and that
is where I came into the picture. In this case, I know Holly would have had
good care from the foster mother, but I wonder what life was like for her
until that transition was made.

One more I will mention is Amber (RB). Amber had been declawed on *all four
paws,* and it was really a butcher's job. The people who had her talked
about how much they loved her, but they had a 13 month old child and were
expecting another; so they were going to be "compelled" to put Amber
outdoors (despite having no claws) if they couldn't find another home for
her. They warned me when I went to look at her that it would probably take
a long time to get her to come out because she was so frightened of people
that she always went into hiding. Incredibly, she ran across the room and
literally jumped into my lap as soon as I sat down! Of course, she won me
over instantly. I thought at first that the woman who described the
situation was trying to butter me up, but I soon found that Amber really was
frightened of everyone else (a situation that gradually changed, and she
began to love being petted by anyone in her vicinity). It's no wonder she
was so frightened. These people permitted their 13 month old son to pull
her around the room by the tail, so she had learned to disappear as far
under furniture as possible. I think it's rather amazing that she never bit
him because they had already taken her only other means of defense (her
claws). They also said she "wouldn't eat much," and she only weighed 4.5
pounds when I adopted her. That, too, changed quickly; and she became a
gorgeous, loving cat. Again, I think of people like that and find it
unbelievable that they would call themselves "cat lovers" -- and, back to
your question, I used to wonder if Amber could remember those days (and
hoped not). She lived to be 16 years old (the last 3 with IBD and
progressive renal failure, but she was a little angel about accepting her
medical treatment).

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

Have I told you how much I enjoy your thoughtful posts"? If not, I am telling you now.

CajunPrincess wrote:
Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.
Nothing in his condition or behavior really gives a clue.

I don't know about Persia's past. She was definitely a house-cat at some
point; she'd been spayed and front-declawed.

She showed up at my back door on January 3rd, 2001. She was yowling to be
let inside. I know she didn't live here before since I'd been living here
nearly 4 years and she was only around 3 years old. I admit, I tried to
shoo her away. She wouldn't listen to me. Kept coming back. As the sun
set the temps dropped into the 20 F degree area and I couldn't stand the
thought of her just sitting out there. I opened the door. She cautiously
entered and checked out the digs.

That night she crept up on the bed, purring loudly and rather distressedly.
She slept on the pillow over my head.

I took pictures of her, printed and hung out flyers around the neighborhood;
canvassed the area vets and shelters. No one knew where she came from. The
apartment manager thought perhaps someone had moved out and left her there
so she just sort of picked me to be her meowmie.

Now she sleeps curled up in the crook of my waste with her head resting on
my hip and she's soooo sweet. Big loss, the people who left her. I've got
a lovely loving cat who is now about 5 years old.

Jill

CajunPrincess wrote:
Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.
Nothing in his condition or behavior really gives a clue.

I don't know about Persia's past. She was definitely a house-cat at some
point; she'd been spayed and front-declawed.

She showed up at my back door on January 3rd, 2001. She was yowling to be
let inside. I know she didn't live here before since I'd been living here
nearly 4 years and she was only around 3 years old. I admit, I tried to
shoo her away. She wouldn't listen to me. Kept coming back. As the sun
set the temps dropped into the 20 F degree area and I couldn't stand the
thought of her just sitting out there. I opened the door. She cautiously
entered and checked out the digs.

That night she crept up on the bed, purring loudly and rather distressedly.
She slept on the pillow over my head.

I took pictures of her, printed and hung out flyers around the neighborhood;
canvassed the area vets and shelters. No one knew where she came from. The
apartment manager thought perhaps someone had moved out and left her there
so she just sort of picked me to be her meowmie.

Now she sleeps curled up in the crook of my waste with her head resting on
my hip and she's soooo sweet. Big loss, the people who left her. I've got
a lovely loving cat who is now about 5 years old.

Jill

CajunPrincess wrote:
Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.
Nothing in his condition or behavior really gives a clue.

I don't know about Persia's past. She was definitely a house-cat at some
point; she'd been spayed and front-declawed.

She showed up at my back door on January 3rd, 2001. She was yowling to be
let inside. I know she didn't live here before since I'd been living here
nearly 4 years and she was only around 3 years old. I admit, I tried to
shoo her away. She wouldn't listen to me. Kept coming back. As the sun
set the temps dropped into the 20 F degree area and I couldn't stand the
thought of her just sitting out there. I opened the door. She cautiously
entered and checked out the digs.

That night she crept up on the bed, purring loudly and rather distressedly.
She slept on the pillow over my head.

I took pictures of her, printed and hung out flyers around the neighborhood;
canvassed the area vets and shelters. No one knew where she came from. The
apartment manager thought perhaps someone had moved out and left her there
so she just sort of picked me to be her meowmie.

Now she sleeps curled up in the crook of my waste with her head resting on
my hip and she's soooo sweet. Big loss, the people who left her. I've got
a lovely loving cat who is now about 5 years old.

Jill

On 27 May 2004 15:42:52 -0700,
(CajunPrincess) wrote:

I adopted Sabastian and Kona as adults, meaning they both have a
"past". I know something about Kona's background was because he was
turned into the clinic (which houses cats for adoption as well in
conjunction with a rescue group) as an 11 year old by the family that
had been bringing him there for years. But Sabastian, who was about 3
years old when I adopted him, was a "door dump"-he was left at the
doorstep of the clinic in a carrier, something which I assume happens
at most shelters.

Periodically I wonder what his life was like with whoever had him
initially. I wonder what name they gave him and how he was treated.
Nothing in his condition or behavior really gives a clue. He was
neutered but not declawed. He doesn't seem to be particularly scared
of anything. He's best described as being a lovebug on his own
terms-he likes being held and petted for discrete periods of time, but
after some time (and those periods seem to be getting longer) he
decides that he's had enough and wants to go do other things. He likes
to have places of his own but he also will sleep on his back with his
legs all splayed out in the middle of the floor. He definitely isn't
clingy, although he likes being around me and other people even when
he's had his quota of lovin' for the time being. He's not at all a
"talker", in fact he rarely meows. I sometimes wonder if his sparse
vocalization is a relflection of his upbringing, but it could also
just be the way he is. Whatever life was like for him at his original
home, he seems to have been physically well cared for and there aren't
any signs of mistreatment.

I know that people give away pets for all sorts of reasons and I guess
it'll always be a mystery as to why his original owners didn't want
him anymore. He's a healthy 12 lb long haired black domestic breed
(although when he wants to be held he likes to melt in your arms like
a ragdoll, he doesn't seem to have any of the other characteristics of
that breed) Not an unusual looking cat but very attractive. He's by
far the most athletic cat I've ever been around, but he's not really
bad about jumping on things like the kitchen counter that I would
prefer he not get on. He's real fastidious and always uses the
litterbox. He and Kona have settled down to a roomate kind of
relationship with only occasional spats, so I would tend to doubt that
there was another cat that he couldn't get along with.

At least his original owners had the decency to make reasonably sure
he'd be taken care of even if they didn't have the gumption to bring
him in to the shelter themselves. Did his original owner get married
to someone who was allergic or didn't like cats? Run out of money to
take proper care of him and decide not to tempt fate? Had to move
away and just didn't want to bother taking him? I guess I'll never
know and Sabastian isn't inclined to discuss the matter. In the end I
suppose all that really matters is that we're both very happy he's
here.

I think your last line says it all, but I, too, wonder about mine.

Internet is the only shelter adoptee, and I know he was removed from
an abuse/neglect situation where he lived with other cats and dogs.
He was terrified of brooms, and always ducked and closed his eyes when
I tried to pet him on top of his head. Took lots of work to get him
over his fears.

Cosmo we think was in a household where perhaps he, or someone in it,
was abused. He gets upset and meows at raised voices, and is afraid
of loud music, as well as thunder. He also took awhile to understand
that it was okay to get up on the furniture, so we think he wasn't
allowed to wherever he was before.

Sabra I think either got lost or was dumped when they found out he had
asthma and couldn't/wouldn't take care of the medical problem.

Trill and Merlyn I have no idea. I think they were just owned by
idiots and dumped when they were no longer convenient and got old
enough to spray/go into heat.

Brando, the former feral, I really wonder about. I think he was owned
by someone before, and I have a feeling his owner died, and no one
else in the family wanted to take him in, so he was dumped and became
feral. When I look at him, I can see him as a kitten, and he had to
be the most adorable little thing back then!

Ginger-lyn