Sometimes cats need you to be their hero. Other times, they’re the inspiration we need to keep doing our best. Bobbie arrived at Cat Town, partially blind with cataracts, severely inflamed skin, and a sore mouthful of bad teeth. Thankfully, Cat Town was able to get her out of the shelter and into a foster home, where your donations got her the quick medical help she needed. Here she met Vanessa, and that’s when the real magic began.
“Having her companionship has been a game-changer. Seeing how she doesn’t let her limited vision slow her down keeps me motivated to keep getting better. ”
Earlier this year I had an unexpected accident. I ended up on crutches and needed to learn how to do everything all over again. Whether it was taking a shower, getting a comfortable night of sleep, or getting into a car. I spent a lot of time alone at home because it was easier not to leave the house and deal with the pity and inconvenience I caused everyone around me.
However, my birthday came during the peak of my injury. The only thing I could physically do was go to the cat cafe down the street. I had always liked cats and had considered getting one, so when I learned the cafe was also an adoption center, I decided to look into it. The center focused on some of the most difficult cats to adopt. Once I was able to walk again and could take care of an animal, I scanned their website looking for a good fit and I was immediately attracted to Bobbie, who was in a foster home at the time. She was blind and older, but seemed like a sweet cat. I later learned she was one of the longest they had in their care because of her disability and medical needs. My temporary disability made me feel a connection to her, so although it would be a challenge, I decided to adopt her.
While I was excited to have Bobbie, I definitely was terrified. I thought about returning her to Cat Town multiple times in the first week — not because of anything she did, but my own anxiety. She was the biggest commitment I had ever made in my life and I wasn’t sure what to do.
Bobbie and Vanessa, home at last!
Things changed when she began to want to be near me. She would see me on the couch and lay down right beside it on the floor. Gradually she moved up to on the couch, next to me. Eventually, I figured out where she likes to be pet and we would spend hours together, and sometimes fall asleep with me giving her rubs under her chin. And when I woke up, I would feel misty-eyed knowing that she waited in foster care for so long for a forever home where she could have these little moments.
She’s needs multiple medications and sometimes forgets to use the litter box, but we are a team. After spending so much time alone as I recovered, having her companionship has been a game-changer. Seeing how she doesn’t let her limited vision slow her down keeps me motivated to keep getting better. And I wouldn’t change a thing.
—Vanessa W.
Stories like Bobbie’s and Vanessa’s are possible because of our Emergency Medical Fund, supported entirely by donors. Thank you for helping her find a home where her determination and love could change Vanessa’s life!