A few weeks after my lovely cat Liza died, I started feeling the urge to look for another cat. I visited several animal shelters in the area; far and away the most friendly, professional, and enthusiastic staff was the group at the La Crescent Animal Rescue facility. And the fact that their facility is only 5 minutes from my home is an added bonus.
On my first visit, I was told that they had taken on some of the 45+ cats that were taken from one home in Iowa last fall. The group that came to our shelter were all given names from the TV series Game of Thrones. Because of the way they were raised, most of the cats had never experienced humans playing with them or holding them; they were completely on their own.
When I went in to meet the cats, one in particular caught my eye. Khaleesi was very skittish; any time I would come near, she would run to another part of the room. She had been at the shelter for about four months; according to the staff, she had relaxed a lot in that time. Khaleesi was in many ways the wrong cat for me: I’ve often chosen calico or dilute calico cats, and she has tortoiseshell coloring. I usually like
cats who will spend time in my lap, and Khaleesi was unable to come close to humans without getting nervous. I had always chosen shorthair cats, and Khaleesi had medium length hair. But one look at her face, and I was smitten. The shelter took pictures when the cats first arrived; so it’s probably no surprise that Khaleesi was not in the mood to smile for the camera.
Because she was just starting to get used to humans, and because I was still unpacking from my move, I decided to take my time and visit her a few times at the shelter before trying to bring her home. I stopped in every few days and gradually was able to get closer and even pet her a little bit.
Thursday was the day that we decided she would come home with me. Her temporary headquarters would be in the bat
hroom, to avoid overwhelming her with the whole house at once and to give her a space without the other two critters. I had set up a litterbox, food and water, and a cat bed that was sort of a cave. From Thursday noon until Friday morning, she had spent nearly all her time cowering in the back of the tent-shape cat bed I had brought in for her.
She seems so afraid! I really hope that she starts to feel comfortable soon. In any case, I’m glad to have her here.
An Explosion of Color and Texture 