Tigre, The Cat Who Picked My Husband
TigreAs a veterinarian, I usually adopt the hard luck cases. Animals that I affectionately refer to as "medical rejects". After our beloved cat died, my husband and I drove to the Arizona Humane Society to adopt a cat named Cuddles. Someone tried to kill him by crushing his skull. The sweet cat survived the ordeal although his face was grossly disfigured. As long as his blood tests came back negative, he would be joining our family.
Unfortunately, Cuddles tested positive for corona virus. We could not adopt him and risk exposing our other cat Genny. Instead Tigre joined our family. Tigre was a patient at the Arizona Humane Society's Second Chance Hospital. The poor cat suffered a large wound that penetrated deep into the muscles along his spinal column. The outline of the wound resembled the profile of a knife. Thanks to the great care provided by Dr. Croteau and his foster family, Tigre made a complete recovery. He arrived for his final checkup the day we went to adopt Cuddles. He took one look at us and decided that we should adopt him. He stuck his paw through the bars of his hospital cage, tapped Steve on the shoulder and meowed. Talk about persuasive. Tigre stole our hearts in less than five minutes.
Tigre blossomed into a handsome cat with a friendly personality. I like to describe him as a "pack cat". He always wants to have someone around. If he can't get human attention, he seeks out Susie for some canine company. Sometimes he wonders into another room and begins to cry loudly. I respond with "Tigre, we're in here buddy. We didn't leave. You did, remember?" He follows my voice back into the room, happy as a clam to have "found" his people again. Although he is not the brightest bulb on the tree, he is certainly the most grateful.
In my experience, adult animals that have gone throught a shelter experience are especially grateful for a permanent home. If you are considering adding a new animal member to your family, I encourage you to adopt an adult from your local shelter or rescue group. Please pay special attention to the older animals that aren't as "adoptable" as the youngsters. They will shower you with love and affection in return.
P.S.: Cuddles found a permanent home shortly after we adopted Tigre.
What a lovely story. Our family went to the Arizona Humane Society to adopt a beagle, but came home with a two-year-old terrier mix. Sophie has been with us for a year now and is a great joy. I agree with you that adopted adult animals seem especially full of love and gratitude for their new home.
Reply to this
I have something you vets and pet owners might be interested in:
So, I don't know if anyone saw the premiere of the CBS TV show, "Greatest American Dog" last night, but it is a hoot. I, myself, am a vet and pet owner and loved the show. I am rooting for a Parson Russell Terrier named Elvis. You must watch the clips of Elvis on this website called
http://www.TheDoctorsChannel.com.
You just type Elvis in the search engine. It also has a great veterinary med section, which I often visit. I thought I'd pass along this great site that I found and let you all know about my new favorite show!
-Dr. Cohn
Reply to this
What a beautiful story! I cried!
I 100% agree with you about the importance of adopting the adults, especially the ones who are "least adoptable."
When we adopted Lilah, we asked the ladies at the Kitty Cove to let us know which cat needed home the most, and it happened to be seven-year-old Lilah, who actually chose
my husband herself! She drew him to her with her big green eyes, and when he came over, she climbed into his arms and purred.
She's just like her mama...that's how I got him to propose to me!
All my best to you,
Galia
Reply to this