My Bella and Luna came to me after I came back from my home State after visiting for the first time since I moved two years ago in April. I had lost my Seville who was my Burmese male who was adopted with his brother, Madrid, from an adoption roundup in west Michigan from a farmer who had the heart and soul to bring in three very pregnant females to make sure their babies found good homes. After Seville passed a couple of months before my first trip back to my home State, a coworker was rightfully concerned that I wouldn’t come back which I seriously considered truthfully so she found these two from a Facebook page for her town.
Bella and Luna were with the parents of the daughter who no longer wanted them because she and her family had other cats and responsibilities then she handed them to her parents. They were with their birth Mom almost three months prior. They were nine months old, flee ridden and half of the size they should be due to lack of care and of food. It was a mess but when I met them, I knew what needed to be done. After I left their house where they were staying, I bought lots of cat food, treats and toys plus a weighted blanket for comfort.
Before I even landed from my trip, they were calling me to come get the cats so after being dropped off at my house and unpacked, I went over there with one cat carrier to get them both. They were terrified rightfully so which was expected. As soon as we got home, I made sure the food dish was full which I was continuously filling up to keep up with their appetites. Two weeks later, we went to the Vet for a full check up and shots then immediately afterwards, they went into heat then got fixed as well.
After the shock of moving and the medical treatments, the emotional healing process started, Luna was all in who’s on the right in the picture and slept near me on our queen size bed at night while Bell who’s on the left in the picture slept near the end. As time went on, anger issues came out and behavioral of fighting back which compounded when I had a bad day at work. Earning their trust involved lots of treats and always having a full food dish and water plus someplace warm to nap all day. Plus, made sure they had a place to perch in the sun.
During the transition period and afterwards, they had a tendency to act wild either when they wanted to play or were angry in an aggressive nature. My mistake is that I got mad and yelled out of anger but I learned from this because it only aggravated the situation. For the past months, my goal is to step back, breathe and give them love when they’re acting out which has resulted in a better quality of life for all of us. Truthfully, they expect me to yell at them and hide even now but it’s my reminder to be calm and kind. The healing process is continuing in different forms which I have to show them love and kindness along the way each step. It hasn’t been easy but they’re worth it because I am learning from them on how to be a better cat parent.
From this experience, my heart goes out to all the foster and adopted parents of human children who experienced abuse and neglect before being moved out. It’s a huge responsibility that requires love, grace, strength and understanding. Plus, the experience of earning trust with a child is enormous. My only experience is that I was born premature after my Mom learned that my Dad was unfaithful which I spent months at the hospital with my Grandma being there for me and not my parents. In that sense, I can relate to my baby girls of learning at a young age of not being loved and hurt multiple times.
My princess feline divas and I are doing well after two years of emotional and physical healing. Even though my coworker had selfish intentions about the cats, God used it for good. In August, I will be traveling again for one week out of State where I plan to check in on the pet hotel where my girls will be staying. I will make sure that they get plenty of treats during their stay. I believe that we are ready for this and they will be confident of my return to get them home.
Thank you for taking time to read about my felines and I. They are my world.
Leslie Elizabeth David.
The Magnificent Modern Mature Woman 