Happy Cats got a call from some nice folks back in 2011. A family had moved, abandoning their 3 dogs and “some cats.” It turned out the cats were a pregnant mother cat and her older kittens.
The mom was a pretty tabby girl who we named June, along with her kittens Rosie, Carter and Cash. The kittens quickly found homes, June went into foster care and in 3 months, she was back with us when second litter got adopted. Her friendly spirit still shone through, though she was thin and a little bedraggled.
June became Junebug, and she loved everybody. Cats, adults, kids…she was always ready to meet them. She was a quick study and learned to do a wonderful Sit Pretty. Months went by and we couldn’t understand why she wasn’t adopted already. June loved to play, but our limited space wasn’t able to keep her fit and she got just a little plump!
Then Meg came to visit. Meg had had a Snowshoe cat, a beautiful fellow named ….. Meg also had a gorgeous German Shepard Dog named Maus. The cat was not nice to the dog, actually attacking her regularly. It had been …… months since …… had died and Meg wanted another cat. Maus wasn’t so sure.
Because it can be traumatic for cats who have had bad experiences with dogs, we don’t allow meet-and-greets in the haven. However, Meg decided to bring Maus to the window to see how Junebug would react.
The minute Maus looked in the window, Junebug dashed over and started pawing at it. Maus seemed interested too. Meg knew this would be a big commitment, so she went home to think about it. When she came back and took Maus out, Junebug did the same thing. This definitely wasn’t a fluke: she wanted to meet Maus!
Junebug loved living with Meg and Maus from day 1, but Maus took a little more convincing. Junebug went slowly and respectfully, winning Maus’s trust by gently coming on the bed, then closer and closer until they were sleeping together.
Maus needed hip surgery last summer and Junebug was by her side during her recovery. With Meg’s dedicated physical therapy, Maus can walk again. Junebug talks her into playing and they romp around the house. June still loves to play with her cat toys too and her extra ‘haven weight’ has melted right off.
They are very good friends, eating, sleeping and playing together. Meg has delighted in each milestone, including Maus now grooming Junebug. We’re sure that Junebug was waiting until just the right family came along…one that included her next best canine friend!
