Tiger, a gorgeous brown, cream and red tortie with big green eyes, first came to the
APL in May 2010. She was surrendered with her kittens when her owner was unable to care for them. Tiger was adopted shortly thereafter and went happily to live in her new home. Unfortunately, just two years later, her owner went into a nursing home, and Tiger found herself back at the
APL, once again waiting for her forever home.
The wait was long. Fall came, then winter, and finally spring. Spring brought a new group of volunteers to the
APL, including Melissa C. Melissa’s volunteer assignment included working in the cat adoption room, cuddling the cats and introducing them to potential adopters. Tiger was one of the friendlier cats; she often meowed and reached for Melissa through her cage.
As Melissa showed off this beautiful girl to potential adopters, she started to notice a couple of peculiar things. First, there was the tug at her heart when she showed Tiger to a possible new “mom” or “dad.” Melissa already had a cat at home, and wasn’t looking for another. Still, she felt a little sad at the notion of saying goodbye to Tiger. More unusual, though, was Tiger’s reaction to the adopters: When Melissa introduced Tiger to other people, Tiger stopped meowing, and rejected their friendly gestures. Then, when the people moved on to look at other cats, Tiger would reach for Melissa, and begin purring again. Tiger had made her wishes known: For this, her third home, she had taken matters into her own paws, and had chosen Melissa, and Melissa accepted Tiger’s choice gracefully. She says, “It was undeniable; we needed to live together.”
For Tiger, the third time definitely was the charm. Melissa has given this sweet, sometimes shy girl a wonderful life. Tiger likes to try to groom her brother Kitty’s head and ears, which Melissa reports makes Kitty bashful and awkward! But most of all, Tiger loves the voice that guided her home: When Tiger hears Melissa reading out loud, Melissa says, “She bolts into the room to give me generous purrs and rubs. She usually ends up sitting on top of me or the book.”
Melissa makes a strong plea for adopting adult cats, like Tiger. She says, “Older cats might need some extra time and patience, but they’re wonderful family members, too. You can give them the comfortable, secure, and happy lives they may never have had. It is very rewarding to spoil them, and they respond with love and purrs!” Tiger certainly agrees!
Barbara Reitzloff
Cleveland APL
Volunteer
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