Here is an update about an extraordinary cat who was adopted by a former BEBHS employee. This is truly a heart-warming story that brought huge smiles to our faces!
I adopted Penny from BEBHS almost 2 years ago after having
seen her at Oakland Animal Services. Her eyes were too small and were infected
when we first saw her. She was housed with another kitten at the time, and we
rescued them both together. Penny had surgery to remove her eyes that were more
problematic for her than useful (she was basically blind, although I think she
could see shadow). At the time, I lived with Todd, the orange tabby pictured in
some of the photos, in a studio in Alameda. Todd decided he was going to be
Penny's big brother, and he started taking care of her. He'd groom her, play
with her, and patiently put up with her kitten antics. The two of them get along
fabulously.
Early this year, I moved to the Los Angeles area to go back
to school. I was a bit worried as to how Penny would do, since she's blind and I
was moving into a large 2-story home. I was especially concerned about the
stairs, as well as the resident cats already living there (4 of them - there are
now 6 cats in the house, including my 2). But Penny adjusted quickly, and in a
matter of weeks, she was running up and down the stairs with the rest of them.
There's also a huge cat tree next to a bookshelf in the living room. Penny loves
that cat tree, and she'll often use it as a way to get up on top of the
bookshelf (yes, she makes me nervous all the time).
Penny now has a new friend, in addition to Todd. He's a black
and white cat named Salem. They play all the time. I used to think that Salem
was too rough on her, because she'd often 'yell' at him to stop playing so hard.
But recently, I heard Salem 'yelling' at someone to calm down, and I had to go
see who it was. Penny was chasing after him, batting at his tail and pouncing on
his head when he paused.
Penny's a tenacious little kitty. When she wants my
attention, she has various tactics that always work. She used to unplug my
computer, even though I had the electrical cords blockaded by a minefield of
boxes, books and photo albums. Once I got that set up so she couldn't play with
the cords anymore (no, she doesn't make me a nervous wreck at all - ha!), she
resorted to biting my feet, batting at my legs, or very desperately mewing at me
with her paws on my legs, asking to get into my lap. How can I resist that last
one?
I love her dearly, and she's getting on fabulously. Nothing
slows her down, and she has no idea that she's any different from any of the
other cats. Also, she has the best senses in the world. She runs around this
house like she can see, knowing exactly when to turn to get through the door to
the bedroom or when to turn to get up the stairs. There's one step into the
laundry room and she knows exactly where that step is. I think she can feel
changes in the flooring that help her navigate the house. Also, she can be in
the room farthest away from where I feed her and still be able to hear the cat
food can open.
She truly is an amazing cat! I'm glad she's
mine.
Thank you for all the hard work you do there. I know it's a
huge job. I also know it's a mostly rewarding one. Thank you for what you
do!
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After BEBHS is a weekly post where we will feature
notes and photos from animals rescued by BEBHS and adopted into their forever
homes. If you've adopted a pet from us, we would love to hear from you!
Please send update and photos to ksmitley@berkeleyhumane.org.
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