The classic novel begins, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That certainly was true for Noodle and Shadow (then called Diablo). In the summer of 2015, the two cats were found by the APL’s Humane Investigations team, along with a half dozen other cats and a dog, neglected and abandoned by their former owner. Some were ill, and all were malnourished. The Humane Investigations officers rescued them and brought them to the APL for good food and medical attention.
Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the HI team and veterinary staff, not all of the animals survived. Noodle and Shadow were among the lucky ones—the HI officers’ intervention was the beginning of their “best of times.”
This was around the time that Brandi’s daughter moved out of the house, taking her cat with her. Brandi missed the cat (and her daughter!) and began to think about finding another cat that would fit into her household. She and her husband went to the APL looking for a cat—one cat—to fill that empty space.
Once they got to the shelter and started looking at cats, Brandi began to think about how great it would be for that cat to have a buddy, something her daughter’s cat had missed out on. She asked the staff about two cats who already got along, and could be adopted together; they quickly recommended Noodle and Shadow. Though the kitties were healthier than when they arrived, they still were underweight. Brandi could tell they could use some TLC. She quickly decided they were the ones.
Is it unusual to adopt two animals when you came in for one? Not for Brandi and her husband—they’d done the same thing two years earlier, when they came in for a puppy and left with two—not wanting to split up Rottweiler/German Shepherd brothers James and Mario!
Before they even left the APL, these two lucky cats were well on the way to being oh-so-spoiled. Brandi’s husband ordered cat condos and hammocks while waiting in line. And once they got home, their true purrsonalities came out—Noodle is a bit of a princess, Brandi reports; she likes
sitting high up in her perch, reigning over her “subjects,” James and Mario. And Shadow has become “one of the guys,” sitting with James and Mario watching Brandi’s husband work on the house. You can hear the happiness at having these two cats in Brandi’s voice, “They’ve been such a great thing for us. They bring us so much happiness!” Just like the happiness Brandi and her family have brought to two APL animals, twice. Thank you for giving four fur kids the “best of times!”
Information about the Cleveland APL
To meet the adoptable animals at the Cleveland APL, visit our adoption center in Tremont at 1729 Willey Avenue in Cleveland or our PetSmart Charities® Everyday Adoption Center in the Parma PetSmart® store at 6870 Ridge Road. To view all of the animals who are waiting for loving homes online or on your mobile device, visit
www.ClevelandAPL.org or download our free adoptions app on your iOS or Android device.
Our Facebook page is called “Cleveland Animal Protective League”. Here is the link to it for your reference:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleveland-Animal-Protective-League/29396512928
Our Twitter handle is @Cleveland APL. Here is a link:
https://twitter.com/ClevelandAPL
Lisa Tarcy
Cleveland Animal Protective League
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