I can’t believe that Hope has only been in my life for less than a year. It doesn’t seem possible. She is just such a huge part of my daily routine now, and a constant joy (even when, as last night, she keeps me up by deciding that 3 a.m. is the perfect time to attack a Netflix envelope that is tormenting her).
Here is the first picture I took of Hope. I had just taken her home from the adoption agency, she had howled the whole way home in her cage, and I had just let her out into my apartment. I showed her the litter box, I put out food, and Hope tiptoed around, quivering with awareness and adrenaline. Like: Is it okay now? Is everything okay? Is there a cage here? Are you going to put me back into that cage? Or … is everything all right now?
Hope had been put into a box and left on the damn sidewalk outside the Petco in Union Square. The thought of that makes me see red, although I suppose it’s better than throwing her into the East River with a weight tied to her collar, or just leaving her on the side of the West Side Highway. The jackass who “dropped her off” knew that the adoption people would HAVE to take her in … and that happens a lot, I guess. It’s nice, I guess – but it’s also selfish – because it just assumes that there is a cage available for her, medical supplies, everything. It puts them in a bind.
Picturing loving little Hope crouched in a box on the sidewalk through a long night before some person came to unlock the Petco makes me want to cry. She must have been so scared. Thank God she wasn’t mistaken for trash and thrown into the back of a garbage truck!!
So I took her home, and she tiptoed about, eating one flake of food, before moving on, to sniff at the litter box, to then jump up on the windowsill and check out her new surroundings.
In the first ten minutes of her investigation, she lay down on the floor (in a spot she still likes to hang out in) … and I took her picture.
Picture #1 of Hope.
Now you’re making me cry. I am so glad that you rescued Hope and that she is with you now. It is good and right.
Even in that first picture, there’s this “Yeah, I’m home now” look. She’s lucky she has you.
(I’m going to refrain from commenting too much about what I think about people who abandon animals, because it makes me all frothy and ranty)
ricki – I know, I can still see some anxiety in her eyes … like: Dare I hope that this will last??
Seeing all those abandoned cats at the adoption place (most of them older – it will be much more difficult to find them homes) was really heartwrenching.
It’s getting really dusty in here… Bless you both.
sheila, it makes me so happy that you found hope and that she found you. you know how i am about furry quadrupeds and how much joy oscar and charlie brirng into my life….and yours when you visit me. i still have some really funny pictures of hope and charlie getting to know one another when hope came to stay with me that time…i’ll email them to you today. anyway, there is something approaching divinity in the way animals touch our lives and i’m glad that you finally got another cat (rip sammy!).
Allison – it makes me tear up to think of how well you remember Sammy, even though you never met him!! He was such a good good boy!
I love your two crazy animals, too – stinky dog breath and all.
This world can be so cruel to cats and dogs.
It’s makes me so happy to know how lucky Hope got when she went home with you.
De – speaking of cats, how is Stacks doing??
Just about the sweetest little urchin picture I’ve ever seen! She is the poster cat for adoption, I think.
This month is the 13th anniversary of when we adopted a cat for my great-aunt who lived alone. They were best buds, all the way to the end of my great-aunt’s life. The cat’s with my parents now (almost ten years), elderly and a bit senile, but always purring when you cuddle her.
I don’t really understand why, but that picture brings actual tears to my eyes.
Isn’t she just a beautiful creature?
She has a LIFE, and it MATTERS. The quality of that life MATTERS. I am glad I can be there for her, because she is worth it. Her life has meaning to me. It exists – she exists … separate from me. I treasure her.
Sheila,
You put into words exactly how I feel about Ciaran, Carly and Ollie. They MATTER. Their lives have meaning. Thank you for saying that, and even more, for believing it. Love you lots.
hope is so cute. i miss her. i am curious to see how you two are together. the last time i was there, she was curled up in the soil of a big potted plant. wait, the plant i got for you years ago. charlie? hank? what is the name of that plant?!
Andrew! Oh my God, forgot to tell you. Andrew bit the dust. He finally could not be saved. It was a VERY sad moment. From a tiny stalk to a giant tree!!! Rest in peace, Andrew.