Day 2196 Faith

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My Christmas cactus is starting to show off its beautiful pink blossoms, and apparently it’s also hanging on to a bright red cat toy! I tucked a few catnip toys into the little house under our piano, curious to see if the cat would venture out to play. Sure enough, each morning when I come downstairs, the toys are scattered everywhere, usually flipped high into the air and somehow caught on top of the piano, or, in this case, nestled right in my plant.

I’m thrilled to see that she’s beginning to enjoy life, play, and most of all… relax. I’m not sure if all the plug-in diffusers pumping out calming cat pheromones are helping, or if it’s simply a combination of time and patience and consistency, but whatever is working, I’m grateful for the progress.

One of these days I really need to write to the rescue shelter and give them an update. I’m sure they’d be happy to hear things are going well, and it might encourage others who are thinking about adopting a rescue cat to remember that settling in takes time. I expected it would take months, but I’ll admit there were days when I secretly questioned whether she would ever come out of hiding. I had to stay strong despite the naysayers around me, so I kept my worries to myself, but at times, they were there. That might make me the most relieved of all that it’s finally working out.

Today, an old photo popped up on my Timehop of my sister and me holding a kitten. We couldn’t have been more than one and two years old. I honestly don’t remember a time in my life without a cat, and somehow, even when she was hiding, our sweet, scaredy cat still made the house feel complete.

I’ve often said that dogs feed a human’s ego while cats keep it real. But after walking this journey with her, helping her through her fears, I have to admit, my ego feels a little boosted by this victory. Seeing toys launched into the air and landing on tables or in flowerpots makes me smile every time. And those pink blossoms? They’re pretty wonderful too. Oh, the things we can do with a little faith, patience and encouragement....the world is full of endless opportunity! 

“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.” ~ Voltaire