Introducing...Winnie
After Neea-Kha passed on, I was desolate. Our apartment was so empty, so quiet. I busied myself - out all day walking, shopping -- anything to avoid being at home. Nights were the worst, without my little girl to cuddle with. I left sleeping until the latest hour possible so I could just crawl into bed and go to sleep, exhausted. I tried to go for regular walks around the neighbourhood but gave up after the first week - it was even more depressing. Neighbours offered to let me walk their dogs, but I didn't have the heart to. I knew I'd need another companion but getting another dog - even a small one - was out of the question. I just couldn't! My decision was to get a cat but sometime in the distant future. I'd start by doing my homework on cats first - I'd research food, medical issues, toys -- so I didn't make the mistakes I made with Jello and Misty.
Two weeks after Nee left, I was out shopping with a friend. She wanted to stop at the pet store to stock up on food for her cat. I thought I'd look around and see what kinds of toys and cat equipment were there -- for that time in the distant future when I'd get my cat. Had her name all picked out -- I knew I'd get a female cat and would call her Winnie (not sure where the name came from, it just popped into my mind when I thought about the cat I'd get). We went into the store and there was a large cage with a cat inside. I learned that the Humane Society had just decided to start displaying cats they had up for adoption. Well, I picked up a feather toy on a wand and started playing with the cat. She grabbed the wand and played and seemed to enjoy the attention. I didn't have any particular feelings about the cat like "aww, she's so cute" -- someone would come along and adopt her - she was playful and seemed full grown. The sign on her door said she was between 2-4 years old and they had named her "Amelia".
When we left the store, the cat didn't even enter my mind. Next day, I went shopping with another friend. We were in the area of the pet store and I suddenly said to my friend "Let's pop in here for a moment -- I'll show you this cat I was playing with yesterday". In we go, and honestly, I don't know what happened. One minute I was saying hi to "Amelia", the next moment I was filling out a pet adoption application and then, before I knew it, I was shopping for items I'd need to bring "Amelia" -- who I announced would be known as Winnie -- home. My application would need to be approved, she still had to get one more set of shots and I could, in all likelihood, bring her home in a couple days.
I knew from the moment I signed the adoption papers that this was another companion that God had directed me to. I prayed that I could take the lessons learned over the years into this new relationship and be more patient, less anxious, less worried and could bond well with this new little girl He had provided for me.
The day finally came to bring Winnie home. Friend Marg was my support, as usual. We put this little mite into her new crate and away we went. She didn't seem unduly upset at being in the car; didn't make a sound, just peered through the crate that I held on my lap. Home at last, I opened the door of the crate and she didn't know what to do -- just scrunched all up, looking this way and that. I tapped the back of the crate and she moved slowly out the door. Slunk around the kitchen -- belly almost touching the floor. If she wasn't scared, she was certainly proceeding with much caution. She had apparently gone from the street directly to a crate at the SPCA; didn’t know what to do with this inside floor space. I put out a dish of food and water for her, but she wasn't ready for that just yet. We decided to leave her to her own devices and we'd just watch as she settled in and explored her new home. It took quite a while before she stopped slinking and started walking upright, and the least little sound would bring her belly to the ground again. Eventually, she settled enough to eat and when I showed her to the little bed on top of a small dresser, she jumped right up and settled in like she'd
been there forever. Didn't move from that bed much until the next day.
Over the next few days, I noticed many things about this little cat that seemed unusual – friends with cats remarked that they were, in fact, unusual. She never drank water – if I put the bowl in front of her, she’d peer in, then walk away. I put some tuna juice in the water, hoping that would entice her to drink -- it didn’t. I supplemented her kibbles with canned food so she would get some moisture; a seven pound cat can dehydrate pretty
quickly. Another oddity, judging by my friends who had cats, was that my little Winnie was so quiet. The only sound she made was a little "whirring" sound when I'd go over to her bed to look at her. She'd startle out of her sleep with that little questioning "whirr", look around and when she saw it was only me, she'd go back to sleep. She didn't meow at all -- I had to leave her food out during the day 'cause she'd never meow to be fed, even first thing in the morning. People also remarked on how oily her fur was; didn't seem dirty, just oily. She groomed herself but her coat stayed oily; it wasn't that soft, silky kitten fur that stood up, it laid flat against her body. I combed her, fur remained oily. Even had the vets stumped.
She did let me hold and cuddle her for a little while at a time. She’d sit on my lap and let me pet her – didn’t like being touched anywhere but on her
head and under her chin. She’d lift her face up high so I could scratch under her chin. While I petted her, she kneaded my legs. I learned soon
enough to have a thick towel or blanket on my lap before holding her, otherwise my legs would be all scratched up after a five-minute petting
session. If I held her cuddled in my arms, she'd suckle on them -- she seemed to be like a little kitten, not a two-to-four year old cat. At the time, I just chalked it up to her being very needy.
Two weeks after Nee left, I was out shopping with a friend. She wanted to stop at the pet store to stock up on food for her cat. I thought I'd look around and see what kinds of toys and cat equipment were there -- for that time in the distant future when I'd get my cat. Had her name all picked out -- I knew I'd get a female cat and would call her Winnie (not sure where the name came from, it just popped into my mind when I thought about the cat I'd get). We went into the store and there was a large cage with a cat inside. I learned that the Humane Society had just decided to start displaying cats they had up for adoption. Well, I picked up a feather toy on a wand and started playing with the cat. She grabbed the wand and played and seemed to enjoy the attention. I didn't have any particular feelings about the cat like "aww, she's so cute" -- someone would come along and adopt her - she was playful and seemed full grown. The sign on her door said she was between 2-4 years old and they had named her "Amelia".
When we left the store, the cat didn't even enter my mind. Next day, I went shopping with another friend. We were in the area of the pet store and I suddenly said to my friend "Let's pop in here for a moment -- I'll show you this cat I was playing with yesterday". In we go, and honestly, I don't know what happened. One minute I was saying hi to "Amelia", the next moment I was filling out a pet adoption application and then, before I knew it, I was shopping for items I'd need to bring "Amelia" -- who I announced would be known as Winnie -- home. My application would need to be approved, she still had to get one more set of shots and I could, in all likelihood, bring her home in a couple days.
I knew from the moment I signed the adoption papers that this was another companion that God had directed me to. I prayed that I could take the lessons learned over the years into this new relationship and be more patient, less anxious, less worried and could bond well with this new little girl He had provided for me.
The day finally came to bring Winnie home. Friend Marg was my support, as usual. We put this little mite into her new crate and away we went. She didn't seem unduly upset at being in the car; didn't make a sound, just peered through the crate that I held on my lap. Home at last, I opened the door of the crate and she didn't know what to do -- just scrunched all up, looking this way and that. I tapped the back of the crate and she moved slowly out the door. Slunk around the kitchen -- belly almost touching the floor. If she wasn't scared, she was certainly proceeding with much caution. She had apparently gone from the street directly to a crate at the SPCA; didn’t know what to do with this inside floor space. I put out a dish of food and water for her, but she wasn't ready for that just yet. We decided to leave her to her own devices and we'd just watch as she settled in and explored her new home. It took quite a while before she stopped slinking and started walking upright, and the least little sound would bring her belly to the ground again. Eventually, she settled enough to eat and when I showed her to the little bed on top of a small dresser, she jumped right up and settled in like she'd
been there forever. Didn't move from that bed much until the next day.
Over the next few days, I noticed many things about this little cat that seemed unusual – friends with cats remarked that they were, in fact, unusual. She never drank water – if I put the bowl in front of her, she’d peer in, then walk away. I put some tuna juice in the water, hoping that would entice her to drink -- it didn’t. I supplemented her kibbles with canned food so she would get some moisture; a seven pound cat can dehydrate pretty
quickly. Another oddity, judging by my friends who had cats, was that my little Winnie was so quiet. The only sound she made was a little "whirring" sound when I'd go over to her bed to look at her. She'd startle out of her sleep with that little questioning "whirr", look around and when she saw it was only me, she'd go back to sleep. She didn't meow at all -- I had to leave her food out during the day 'cause she'd never meow to be fed, even first thing in the morning. People also remarked on how oily her fur was; didn't seem dirty, just oily. She groomed herself but her coat stayed oily; it wasn't that soft, silky kitten fur that stood up, it laid flat against her body. I combed her, fur remained oily. Even had the vets stumped.
She did let me hold and cuddle her for a little while at a time. She’d sit on my lap and let me pet her – didn’t like being touched anywhere but on her
head and under her chin. She’d lift her face up high so I could scratch under her chin. While I petted her, she kneaded my legs. I learned soon
enough to have a thick towel or blanket on my lap before holding her, otherwise my legs would be all scratched up after a five-minute petting
session. If I held her cuddled in my arms, she'd suckle on them -- she seemed to be like a little kitten, not a two-to-four year old cat. At the time, I just chalked it up to her being very needy.