This is our story… a testimonial from Samantha

My name is Samantha.  I have three amazing and wonderful cats, two of whom I adopted from CC4C. 

This is our story…

My first kitty was rescued from an animal hoarder.  Fiona was a nine year old sweetheart forced to live with nine other cats and five dogs.  She was fighting for food and clean water every day.  When I rescued her, she was incredibly anxious and scared.  She would even over groom herself to the point where her skin would bleed.

Over the course of about a year, she and I slowly began to accept each other into our lives.  I was finishing my last year of college and had a pretty stressful time myself.  She became attached at my hip and our routine life eventually calmed her down (and me too!).  I figured that because she was so sensitive, I would never successfully introduce another animal into my house.

After about six more months, I first saw Homer at the Petco in Walnut Creek.  CC4C was having adoptions that day.  He was a small, white kitty with a few black markings and beautiful eyes.  He was around 6 mos. old and was with his sister, Sally.  I left that day and could not stop thinking about that pretty little man!  After a really long week, I decided that I had to at least try and see what Fiona could handle.  I went the next weekend to adopt Homer.

He and Fiona did not get along at first.  I kept them separated for a long time; they both seemed happy without each other.  Although Homer was very curious, Fiona just didn’t act like she had the time or energy for a young, spunky kitten.  As time went on, the two learned to tolerate each other, but never became close friends.

After I adopted Homer, I learned that one of my co-workers was a part of CC4C.  Dana and I hadn’t ever really spoken at work until she found out that I adopted Homer.  He and the CC4C organization were the foundation of our friendship.  Dana does a lot of work in our community fostering, fixing, and loving rescue cats and ferals.  After about another year, I  confided in her that one day I’d like to adopt special needs cats; I felt like it was my calling.

It was through Dana that I then learned about Polly.  She emailed me a couple pictures and said “You’ve got to check this little one out.  I think you would be perfect for each other”.  So I took the bait.  I looked at her photos and read a sweet bio about a four month old, blind polydactyl.  She was the sweetest little thing!  She suffered from a severe infection as a kitten.  Her whole litter was found under a bush, teeming with bacteria (one of her brothers didn’t make it, the infections were that bad). With complete corneal damage in one eye and a deformation in the other, she was going to need a little bit of extra care.  I fell in love almost instantly.  She was the smallest in the litter as well, such a fighter!   Needless to say, she came home with me after we met.

The best part of the story is: Polly has brought Fiona and Homer together in a way I never thought possible.  All three of my cats sleep together, groom each other, and play together.  My tiny, blind kitten (who plays and eats and walks as if she has no disability!) has bonded my anxious old lady and my hyper young kitty.  Homer and Polly are best pals and love chasing each other!  When Homer moves too quickly and Polly loses sense of him, he chirps for her so that she can continue the game.  Fiona grooms everyone like they were her own.

It just goes to show that adopted animals can be the greatest companions.  Three is not a crowd in my home!  I never thought that my animals would be this close, living in a happy and healthy house with each other.  I am so blessed to have each of them in my life.  Our community is blessed to have CC4C, working tirelessly to find these animals the love and prosperity they truly deserve.  Thank you so much to each of you that helped and facilitated both of my adoptions. 

I don’t know what I’d do without my furry babies!