Hi, everyone. August 28 is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. I could think of no better book to sample today than Hugs and Hisses, which is dedicated to two very special cats who live at the Rainbow Bridge, Gigi and Teddy. Enjoy!
Nov. 20, 2010
It’s my first hands-on training as a cat socializer with Humane Society Silicon Valley. I’ve already had five hours of classroom training; the academic background is a big part of what makes this Animal Community Center different from the other SPCA where I volunteered in the 1990s. Don’t get me wrong; that was a marvelous experience, and I adopted my beloved Mr. Nicky there (RIP, sweetie-puss).
I’m wearing my uniform t-shirt, jeans, a name tag and closed-toed shoes. Ashley, the cat behaviorist, has let me into the room of the cat I’ve chosen as my first visit. She hasn’t been socialized today, according to the board. Her activity chart tells me that she is shy and doesn’t like to be picked up. Her name is Fuzzie; I’ve seen her listing on the shelter web site. Her owner passed away and she is looking for a new forever home. The web site says Fuzzie is a Manx mix; she has a little bobtail. She’s been in the shelter long enough that her adoption fee is sponsored; the Homeward Bound program is a wonderful concept that means the right family can take this kitty home for free. She won’t be euthanized for space or time; she’s here until she finds the right place. Unless she develops a horrible medical condition or behavior problems, she’ll find a home.
I go in and sit down on the floor; Fuzzie is eating. Ashley tells me that this is a welcome sign; Fuzzie had been off her food and losing weight. The shelter, no matter how nice and up-to-date, is a stressful environment. I start talking to Fuzzie, telling her about why I came to the shelter: to help pets like her find a new best friend. She stops eating and turns around to face me, giving me a gravely meow. I extend a finger to her and she strops against it, purring. She walks over to me, closing the social distance between us, and I pet her some more. She goes back to her food dish and eats some more. I keep talking quietly to her.
She hops up into the cat tree next to me, and I look for signs that she’s done talking to me — turning her back to me, for example. Instead, she looks toward me, extending her face through an opening in the cat tree. I readjust my position on the floor, still giving her plenty of room to move. I talk to her some more and stroke her chin. She is still purring.
She extends one smokey paw (she’s an unusual smoke tabby; she’s the color of a thunder cloud, with a white undercoat) toward my lap, touching my knee. I keep talking. She puts another forepaw onto my leg … and crawls into my lap to purr.
I remain sitting there and talking to her, with tears flowing, as I recognize once again that I’m in the right place.
Want your own copy of Hugs and Hisses? Back cover copy and purchase links are below.
Award-winning author, animal communicator, and Reiki practitioner Sharon E. Cathcart shares tales from her humane education work in this new memoir. Sharing stories of both happiness and heartbreak, Cathcart brings us into the challenging world of animal rescue. All proceeds from the book will benefit Humane Society Silicon Valley.
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