For all devoted cat parents, there is no worse day than when life forces them to give up their beloved fluff and surrender it to the shelter.
Most of the time the reason for that is moving away, a cat allergy of a family member, or even a strict and inflexible work schedule because of which they are not home often.
One of my best friends and fellow cat lovers had to say goodbye to her beautiful white kitty because she got a job as a nurse and had regular 12-hour shifts.
And since her furbaby was very attached and suffered from separation anxiety, my friend knew the right thing to do was to find her a happy home where she would have good owners who would always be there for her furry buddy.
It was a hard decision to make, but something she had to do – all because she loved her cat so much.
Today, we are bringing you a very similar case, but from a feline’s perspective. Here’s the story about a 13-year-old cat named Jamie, who unfortunately had to end up in a shelter.
Because of her old age, Jamie’s owner had to move to a nursing home where she would get the proper care she needed. Unfortunately, that nursing home had a strict policy about their residents bringing pets, so Jamie had to say goodbye to her beloved owner.
He was brought to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Australia in hopes he will find a loving and caring owner, someone to spend the rest of his feline years with.
When Jamie first came to RSPCA, his overall health was not very well. He was suffering from cat flu, which is an umbrella term used to describe an extremely infectious upper airway disease that is usually caused by viruses like Feline Herpes Virus 1 (FHV1) and Feline Calicivirus (FCV).
Apart from that, he also had severely damaged teeth and some kidney malfunctions.
RSPCA employees had to remove his teeth and give him proper treatment and medication for both the cat flu and his kidney problems, while also adjusting his diet to support his nutritional needs and health issues.
Because Jamie’s health was not that great, and since he had been an older cat, people at the shelter were afraid that no one will want to adopt him and that he will end up alone. That was until a very special lady named Sarah Dempsey came into the shelter one day.
For quite some time, Sarah had been struggling with loneliness, so she thought getting a cat would be a great idea because she would finally have a friend to keep her company.
She came to the RSPCA not planning on going back home with a senior feline, but once she laid her eyes on Jamie – she instantly knew he was the one.
According to Sarah, their first encounter happened as Jamie was asleep. Once she leaned over to take a better look at him, he instantly woke up. It appeared to her that Jamie had been craving some love and cuddles, so she stuck her hand through the cage and patted him on his head.
Jamie was very cooperative! He started purring and head-bumping her hand almost immediately, evidently enjoying the love she had been giving him.
The staff at the RSPCA noticed the connection between Jamie and Sarah, so naturally they decided to let Jamie out in order to determine his behavior toward her, outside his cage. They wanted to know whether he will show signs of affection or not.
Luckily, he did. He immediately cuddled next to Sarah completely trusting her. Their bond was almost tangible. And they both adored each other. What a miracle!
Sarah knew Jamie was the feline she was meant to meet. For whatever reason, she knew he was the only cat there that could possibly help her feel less lonely and sad, and she was sure she was the only one who could return him the same favor.
So, naturally, she decided to take him home the very next day.
Many people were afraid that Jamie would have a hard time adjusting to his new home and his new cat mom since he had been living with one owner for a significant period of time. But Jamie surprised them all!
It was as though he knew he met the person with whom he was supposed to spend the rest of his feline life.
According to Sarah, Jamie had zero problems getting used to his new surrounding. Right from the start, he was relaxed, outgoing, and very friendly. He followed Sarah around her apartment and made a habit of talking to her all the time.
But the most adorable thing about Jamie was that he refused to fall asleep without Sarah holding his paw or tail. He absolutely had to have her close, or else he would not sleep.
He would even wake up and meow at Sarah to hold him if she dared to let his paw go while they were asleep. He was that determined to have her near!
This worked purrfectly fine with Sarah because she was looking for a feline that will keep her occupied, feeling less lonely, and that will be her emotional support. And I think it is safe to say that Jamie was up for the challenge.
I hope every person in this world gets an opportunity to experience a bond strong as theirs had been. In a matter of seconds, Sarah and Jamie became best friends. It was as though their souls had recognized each other. We can only pray we get to feel the same thing one day.