fun, frisky felines: gracie's story

As you know, it's Friday which means it's time for another kitty story! When I was trying to come up with a post, I suddenly realized that I hadn't told you about Gracie's adoption story. So here goes...


princess gracie's ready for her close up

Shortly after Jesse and I returned from our spring trip to Denver, I realized that Dominick was much too young not to have a playmate. I wanted whatever was best for Nicky and it was obvious that he had missed us while we were gone, despite the fact that we had a pet sitter to keep him company. He was too attached to us, which I loved because it showed just how much he liked us. But I didn't want him to be lonely every time Jesse and I went to work or went away for the weekend.


you're leaving me? again?

After convincing Jesse that it was in Nicky's best interest to have a brother or sister, he gave me the ok to check out some kitties. I searched on Craigslist and Petfinder every day and none of the listings really called out to me. So I posted a note on Craigslist asking if anyone knew of any upcoming cat adoption fairs because I wanted to adopt a friend for my kitty.

I was inundated with responses, but the only one that stood out to me was Lori's. Lori works for Homeward Trails Animal Rescue. It stood out to me because she asked me questions about our current kitty. She wanted to know, how old he was, if he was neutered, what his demeanor was like, etc. She also asked what I was looking for in a companion kitty. It gave me hope that she would help us find a kitty that would be a good match (personality-wise) with Nicky.

She invited me to an adoption fair the following weekend and I went (sans Jesse who had to work). I met several cats that day, but was only drawn to one--Gracie. She was a pretty, little thing--a small bundle of gray fur, just chillin' in a cage. She looked tired and sleepy and maybe a little sad. One of the volunteers at the fair saw me looking at Gracie and warned, "She just had her spay surgery a couple of days ago so she's still recovering and might not be very friendly. She's usually a really playful cat." I scratched her head from between the bars of her cage and as I did so, she moved her head closer to my hand. I asked if I could see her outside of the cage and the volunteer took her out for me.


are you talking about me again?

The volunteer placed her in my arms and I held her like a baby. I continued to scratch her and she nudged me for more. Soon after, I could hear her little purr motor going. It was love at first purr. I carried her for what seemed like forever, and the volunteer said, "I'm really surprised that she's been ok in your arms for this long. She's been pretty sensitive since the surgery." Well, of course, Gracie was fine in my arms. She had finally found her mommy.


i'm getting a little sister?

After we received a home visit from another Homeward Trails volunteer, we got the ok to adopt and picked her up the following weekend. I think she had sensed a big change in her life because she decided to make a huge stinky poo in her foster mom's carrier, which she then proceeded to step and lay on. By the time we arrived, Gracie's foster mom had been cleaning her up, but she still had poo in her fur every where and the stench was unbelievable. It was at this point that Jesse wondered if we were making a mistake.

I held Gracie as her foster mom cleaned her. She and I left the room at some point and Jesse was alone with Gracie. They met and played for a bit, despite her stinky-ness. When I got back, apparently Jesse was a bit more certain about adopting Gracie.


gracie's first day at her forever home (after the stressful bath)

Turns out Gracie was nothing like the mild, even tempered kitty I met at the adoption fair. She's actually Hell on 4 paws. She's still occasionally stinky (let's just say that we know when she's been to the litter box) and thinks the whole world is her chew toy. Gracie has to taste everything and if it tastes remotely good, she'll then chew. She has used one of my favorite bags as a scratching post about 2 weeks after I bought it and will run off with my hair ties/clips/pins just as I need them when I'm styling my hair. Gracie is everything that Nicky isn't.


a princess on her throne

But Gracie is also a total ham who makes us laugh with her silly antics and crazy stunts. She likes high spots so in no time, she was able to find a way to climb up to Jesse's mail box, which is hung above a book case in our condo. Despite our occasional frustrations with her, we can't help but love her, especially when she chooses to sleep on one of us, or keep us company while we're working on the computer (or keeping us from working as she loves to walk on keyboards).


looking down on her minions

I can't tell you how rewarding it's been to adopt two cats. It really has been an awesome experience so far and I highly recommend it. If you've ever thought about getting a pet, be sure to ADOPT!