To love is to live and to live is to know loss. At some point in our lives, we will all know the pain of loss. When one is an animal lover this is often experienced multiple times in a person’s life. No matter how many losses one experiences, the heartache never gets easier. I met sue earlier this year while volunteering with the cats at WCAC. She is warm, compassionate, and has a gentle way with the cats. When Sue isn’t working full-time she can be found loving on the orphan cats at the Shelter. At the time when I met Sue she was a guardian to her black, Persian cat named Mr. Buttons. Sadly, at the age of 10, Mr. Buttons died suddenly of kidney failure shortly after I met Sue. Though I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Buttons, from what I am told he was a gorgeous cat, a wonderful companion, and had a special presence about him! Losing Mr. Buttons so suddenly after being diagnosed with kidney failure was a shock to both Sue and her husband. His departure left a void in both their hearts and home.
A week of not having a cat was more than Sue could bear. Not being ready to commit to adopting another cat, she decided to try fostering for once. When you volunteer with shelter and rescue cats it can be so difficult to choose whom to foster. There are so many wonderful personalities and they all desperately want to find their forever homes and be loved. When Sue decided to foster she chose Bunny, (formerly named Dakota), because she wanted to give her a cage break and break from the shelter. While Bunny liked people, she wasn’t fond of other cats. Though she enjoyed attention and would give kisses, she wasn’t and still isn’t a cat who likes being picked up. This is fairly common with a lot of cats. All too often people rule out adopting such cats and don’t realize a “nearby cat” can be as affectionate as a “lap cat.” And when a cat doesn’t like to get out of a cage because of its dislike for being held, it can be really hard to potential adopters to get a read on their personality. Since Sue and her husband didn’t have any other cats, Bunny was a natural choice to foster.
Within 2 days Sue knew she couldn’t return Bunny to a cage at the shelter. A week later she became a foster failure! After a brief adjustment period, Bunny has become a relaxed and happy cat in her forever home. Though Sue never adopted Bunny as a replacement for Mr. Buttons, Bunny has definitely helped her during her grieving process. The two are a great match! Bunny bonded quickly with Sue and follows her from room to room, keeps her company on the couch, and sleeps with her every night. From time to time, Bunny will wake her mom with a gentle touch of the paw when she wants affection.
When Bunny isn’t playing with her toys or snacking on her treats, she can be found lazing around the house on her back in her favorite position. Bunny and Sue definitely hit the jackpot when they found one another. Sue is over the moon crazy about her and says she is the best cat she’s ever had! While her husband doesn’t admit it, Sue knows he is attached to Bunny too.
When I found out Sue decided to foster and then adopt Bunny I was so thrilled. I met and photographed Bunny at the shelter a couple of weeks prior. While Bunny was initially shy with me, I could tell she would warm in time with the right guardian and situation. The first batch of photos were the ones I took of her at the shelter. Isn’t she darling?! It’s easy to see why Sue fell in love with her so quickly. Bunny will never replace Mr. Buttons. Both kitties will always occupy separate spaces in Sue’s heart of endless love!
