Pet Profile single view | PAWS Chicago

Steve's Story

For 10 years my cats Reba and Joppa were best friends. Joppa would plop down and Reba would follow closely behind and snuggle in. They would cuddle and groom each other all day. Reba was enamored with Joppa. She was always sweet to me too, but pretty much ignored me in favor of him.

About 5 months ago Joppa suddenly became ill and I had to make the extremely difficult decision to put him down. It was terribly hard on both Reba and I. The first night she was inconsolable, we both stayed up all night crying. Reba became very attached to me, always following me around and meowing constantly. With my busy schedule, I knew I needed to find her a new companion.

I went to PAWS intending to look at kittens. I walked through the hall, looking at all the kittens and cats. I kept stopping at the back room, I was drawn to it. I read the bios of the cats inside, but no one seemed to want me to meet them. After meeting several cats that seemed ideal, I just wasn't connecting with any of them. I walked by the back room again and saw Leone grooming another cat. I immediately wanted to meet him. I inquired and was informed that Steve was a "Level 2" cat and I would need to sign a waiver to meet him. My roommate seemed skeptical. I think his status made me want to give him a home even more. He let me pick him up right away, without squirming. After we met, I realized he was missing his tail - it had been amputated due to an injury from his life on the streets. I just knew he was the one for Reba, so I took him home that day.

We put Steve in my meditation room. I gave him and Reba a few treats on either side of the door. Steve pushed one under, almost as if it was a peace offering to Reba. Even though they hadn't met, Reba instantly calmed down. She followed me around and meowed much less. After his fecal results came back negative I introduced them right away. Reba hissed a bit, but nothing too concerning. After 2 days of short introductions, it seemed safe to let them roam freely. On day 3 they were grooming each other. By day 5, I could see a real bond forming. They wrestle and play and clean each other. Steve has brought a lot of fun new energy to our home. Every day I come in and they both eagerly meet me at the door. Steve had some bad acne on his chin when I brought him home and it has all cleared up. He seems healthy and happy, with so many rooms to explore and surfaces to scratch and sit on.

I look forward to many more years with Steve. Life was good before, but Steve makes it great!