Day 1206 Gypsy

 

Gypsy… Is She My Barney Beagle?

After looking at a million photos and videos of cats and kittens needing homes, I’m not sure why this one got me, but something about her spoke to me. Her story is a sad one: a feral cat barely surviving outdoors until someone finally brought her to the shelter, where she received much-needed medical attention and a safe, warm, dry place to stay, albeit a cage, where she has remained for the past nine months. She was adopted once, but it only lasted two weeks before she was returned. Apparently, she hid the entire time she was in that household.

So of course, I thought, I’ll give it a try. I’m not sure if it will work out, but every creature deserves at least our best effort.

When I went to meet her, I knew immediately she wasn’t going to jump onto my lap and purr peacefully. But she let me pet her without any sign of scratching or biting, so that was something. I brought her home and set her up in the bathroom, really the only room I can easily close off, complete with food, water, a litter box, and a little cat house. After being in a cage for nine months, an entire room is probably overwhelming enough; the whole house would likely be too much. And honestly, if I let her roam free, I’d probably never find her again.

I sat on the bathroom floor while she hid...first in a nook between the vanity and the wall, then inside her cat house, which she already seems to love. I’d reach my hand in to pet her, unsure if she enjoyed it, but she never showed any signs of retaliation. Even our sweet Peps would scratch or bite when she'd had enough attention. I’ve even picked Gypsy up and held her, begrudgingly, on my lap several times. She doesn’t try to escape but is clearly relieved when I let her slip back into her hiding spot. Baby steps.

All in all, I think Gypsy is a sweet cat...super shy, never domesticated. It will be a challenge, but I’m willing to give it my best. I figure it will take at least a few months for her to relax, but after a lifetime of uncertainty, that makes perfect sense.

Tim suggested we might as well toss a wild hyena into the house, clearly he’s not seeing her potential. He also suggested I shouldn’t write about her in case we end up having to return her, comparing her to “that girl you sleep with but aren’t sure if you want to introduce around.” He has a way with words, that Timothy. Well, good or bad, I’m introducing her.

The shelter named her Gypsy, and although it’s not a name I would’ve chosen, Tim wants to keep it, so I’ll give him that. Scaredy cat or not, it felt wonderful to hear her purr while I pet her (I believe cats purr both when they are happy and scared but I'll hope it was a happy purr) and I remain the foolish optimist who believes that with enough love, attention, and time, everything will work out as it should.

Maybe she won’t become my Barney Beagle… but maybe she’ll become something entirely her own. And honestly, that possibility and a new beginning is exciting... watching the future road unfold in front of us...one day, one gentle hold, one room at a time. 

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~Mahatma Gandhi