Hi friends!
I hope you are having a good week. It has been a nice, quiet week here - my favorite kind.
I am looking for more rescued cats, dogs, bunnies, ferrets, birds, etc. (!) to interview here in future weeks. If you have a fur baby who would like to be spotlighted, please leave a comment below.
Today a beautiful cat named Ninja is visiting. Ninja is a 10 year old tortoiseshell. My Momma is a big fan of tortie cats. Here is Ninja's story!
Abby: What is your background and how did you end up
in rescue?
Ninja: Farrah picked me up off the street back in August
of 2005, when I was about 6 weeks old. I was hiding in the bushes at the
homeless shelter she was volunteering at, and I wandered out when I heard her
voice because I was hoping she would have food. She found me some food in the
kitchen and she and her friends spent the next two hours trying to play with me
and win my trust. Then she brought me around to a bunch of other cats--I think
she was trying to see if one of them was my mom? I don't know where my mom went,
but all the cats she found hissed at me. I think she felt really bad, so she
ended up just taking me home.
Abby: How were your first days at your new
home?
Ninja: I got the impression that I wasn't supposed to be
there, because she seemed to be trying really hard to be secretive about it at
first. Her dad didn't seem to like me much, and Farrah got into a huge argument
with him when he found out about me. To this day, I steer clear of him, but her
mom loves me and always listens to me and spends time with me! Before her
parents found out about me, I lived in her backyard and she'd stay outside with
me every afternoon and work on things while I tried to lie across her
notebooks.
Abby: What are a few of your favorite
things?
Ninja: I like lying on top of Farrah or her mom whenever
they're sleeping and giving them throat massages! They don't seem to like the
second part as much, but they never move away when I do it, so I think they
secretly don't mind. Farrah has a tendency to try to do everything and never
seems to take a break, so sometimes when I catch her sitting or lying down, I'll
curl up on her and it works like magic! She doesn't move. I really like drinking
water from the faucets, especially the one with extra-filtered water upstairs,
but I'll only jump up there when I know someone will be there to turn it on for
me. I also really love having my cheeks scratched/brushed, and sitting next to
cords and making chewing sounds. I don't actually chew them though; I just like
to pretend.
Abby: Do you have any tips for people who want to
adopt a rescue pet?
Ninja: Patience and a lot of [unconditional] love. I had
almost starved to death before I was found and given a home, and it can take a
long time to learn to trust again. If you're looking for a furry friend, please
adopt and don't shop. There are so many wonderful pets in all different breeds,
ages, and demeanors out there at rescues and shelters who would love to find a
forever home. If you have a pet who hasn't already been neutered or spayed,
please consider doing so!
Abby: Is there a rescue group you want to send a shout
out to (with link to group?)
Ninja: Every time Farrah comes back home, she always
smells like a bunch of other cats and she has a lot of cat hair on her clothes
that are not presents from me. I think she might be hiding another cat from me,
but as long as she doesn't bring another one home, I guess I can forgive
her.
Farrah's explanation: In medical school, I
volunteered at and eventually started living at a cat rescue/sanctuary called Please Save A Cat.The lady who runs the shelter is one of the kindest people I will ever
know--she takes care of over 80 cats (strays, surrendered pets, and cats from
local shelters who've run out of time), and also cares for pets of deployed
military personnel so that they won't have to worry about them while they're
gone--all for free! The rescue is run entirely on donations and out of her own
pocket, so I would drive back there to help out whenever possible, even after I
had to move 3 hours away for my clinical rotations.
Isn't that a wonderful story? Ninja's mom, Farrah, is a dedicated cat rescuer. She is doing a lot of great work for kitties! Thank you, Ninja and Farrah, for stopping by!
If you'd like to leave a comment for Ninja, or just say "hi," you can do this in the comments below.
I hope you have a great weekend!
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
