Within a week I was back at the shelter looking for a companion for Light Heart, to be company for each other during the hours I was away from home. I had been working with a wonderful adoption counselor, a kind gentle and wise lady who read both people and cats well. She hesitantly suggested I consider a certain kitten who was spending her days living well in a foster home with five adult male cats. Her hesitation stemmed from my first encounter with this kitten in the shelter. She was feisty and opinionated, keeping her back to anyone that passed by her cage, turning only to deliver a disdainful hiss over her shoulder at us.
I was assured that many cats act much better in a home environment than in a shelter, and although I completely had my doubts about adopting what may be a challenging behavior case, I trusted the adoption counselor enough to at least make the visit to the foster home and meet this feisty girl in hopefully better circumstances.
Shelters are an extremely stressful situation for many cats, as I came to learn in great detail during my following years volunteering at the shelter. Almost every cat, once removed from the shelter, and given a chance to recover from the stressful experience, blossoms. Golden Heart was no exception to this rule. At four months she was the last of her litter to find a home. She didn’t hiss in the home, but did enjoy giving us a good chase to catch up with her. It was food that finally brought her front and center and into our hearts. With paperwork completed, Golden Heart was headed to her forever home. With fingers crossed, and confidence that we had well thought out the decision, we had high hopes that she and Light Heart would become fast friends.
I was naïve to assume it all would be so simple.
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