Patience Pays Off – The Joy of Adopting Older Cats

Nov 12, 2019

Thank you to Cynthia C. for sharing this story with PAWS! This PAWS Chicago Alumni story shows just how much love senior pets have to share - perfect for celebrating Adopt A Senior Pet Month.

A year ago, mid-November 2018, I brought home two eight-year old cats, Penelope and Princess Diana.  The day before I’d just lost the second girl (of my second set) of a pair of cats I had for 20 years.  I couldn’t bear the thought of a home without little furry creatures.  I checked the PAWS website at breakfast with a girlfriend and saw a picture of these two quadrupeds and knew I’d found little ones who needed me as much as I needed them.  My girlfriend, another feline lover, drove me straight to PAWS.

I specifically wanted older cats - they’re so much easier to manage! So, I thought to foster them first – just in case they didn’t like me.  Within two days, Penelope curled up on my chest as I lay on the couch watching TV, so I knew she was perfectly happy.  She even went out into the hall of my condo building that first week – talk about adventuresome!  Princess (I dropped the ‘Diana’) was another story entirely - she hid under my desk upstairs and stayed there, not to be moved.  She stayed under the desk for 2.5 months – I’m not kidding - but it was wonderful watching her personality slowly become apparent.

To get them used to me, I started talking to them as soon as I came in the door and one day I heard Princess answer me.  A week later, after I came in, I looked up and she was at the top of the stairs…..of course, she ran to hide as soon as I hit the first step.  She then took to coming out from under the desk for me to scratch her head, briefly, when I came in to feed her.  I saw her sitting out on top of my desktop table in her second month with me so I quickly took a picture!  Long story short, Princess now follows me around, has been fun to watch exploring the house, must be in the same room with me, talks to me, begs for petting and head scratches - and sleeps above my head on the back of my headboard.  (An aside, she and Penelope finally have become good friends together after months of hissing and spitting.)  Amazingly, of the two, Princess is the most affectionate - although Penelope, loudly purring, claims my chest about every other day and later, curls up next to me to sleep on the bed.  I love them both, I’m so happy I found them but I must confess that Princess has stolen my heart!

Thank you PAWS!