Lou: King of Hearts!

It has been said that you can judge a person’s heart by her treatment of animals.  If so, Lou’s story will give you a very clear picture of the generous hearts of Brea and her husband, Joel.
 
Back in 2013, Brea and Joel were engaged.  While they were living apart, the couple decided to adopt a cat to keep Joel company until they were married and living together. The couple went to several shelters, looking for just the right cat.  They visited the APL’s PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center in Parma, where they saw a lanky, black and white cat lying on his back, relaxing.  The cat had been brought to the APL less than a month before as a stray.  Brea thought that if he was that comfortable in a shelter, this kitty’s adjustment to a new home would be smooth.  They asked to meet with him.  The cat sniffed them, and then flopped down in Joel’s lap.  They adopted him that day, changing his rather unfortunate name of Stinky to Lou. 

 
Lou settled into his home quickly.  Joel and Brea got married, and eventually their lives took them to Pittsburgh.  There, they began to foster kittens, and sometimes cats, for a local shelter.  Lou seemed afraid of the littlest ones at first, but eventually came to love them.  The foster felines came and went, as they are expected to do.

But then came Bea.  Bea was a foster kitten who was rescued from a puppy mill along with dozens of dogs and another adult cat.  Brea describes what happened.  “We adopted one of our fosters because Lou loved her so much.  He scratched at the carpet to try to get into the room where we kept her until she had all of her shots and was spayed. Once we introduced them, we kept finding them curled up sleeping together, or chasing each other around playing.  He loves his new sister, Bea.”
 
The family then moved on to Philadelphia, where they continue to foster kittens.  Still, Brea notes, “we always make sure Lou is the king of the house.”  Lou brings his toys into their bed, where he sleeps at night.  His favorite is one of his first, a now slightly bedraggled pink fairy.  He also got new toys, filled with catnip, for Hanukkah.  Brea reports, “he loves rolling around on the floor with them then getting huge eyes and charging all over the house.”
 
Lou has had some health issues, including a food allergy, which caused him to be placed on a special diet.  Brea took on a second part-time job to cover the costs of his food and medical care.  She makes him homemade cookies, too, so that he can have treats and still stay on his novel protein diet.  All the extra work?  Brea doesn’t complain, but, instead, rejoices that Lou is happy and healthy.  “He is so worth it!” she exclaims.  Clearly, Lou is not only the king of the house, but the King of Hearts as well.