A Happy Tails Ending for Foster/Rescue Penelope!!
HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!
Remember the little news I gave you about an abandoned kitty we named Penelope and we helped in our neighborhood about three or four weeks ago?
Penelope was not spayed, was pregnant with three kittens and appeared to have been declawed. She also displayed very aggressive behavior toward Mom L where she lived in a large cage in her office. Both Mom L and Dad P received several bites that went deep enough to draw blood.
If you work with any feline shelter, rescue, public shelter then you know that “biting” that draws blood will end a cat in quarantine and likely euthanasia. And given that we thought Penelope was declawed we knew we ought not to return her to the outdoors where she had been abandoned.
What to do?? Kit Katie still needs a great deal of attention to help her get beyond being so hand shy. Mom L and Dad P could not foster Penelope long term and could not take her to our county animal services. Fortunately we have a very experienced Director at our animal services and we sought her, and other’s, advice and counsel including the shelter Chief Veterinarian.
Long story short, we determined Penelope deserved an opportunity to live her life within her own abilities and we asked the neighbor who found her if she would allow us to return Penelope to her as an outdoor cat. Miss Debbie agreed quickly.
About this time, we learned that Penelope HAS CLAWS!! All this time, even though she was biting, she never ever used her claws. Mom L observed her using a cardboard scratcher and heard little claws “rip, rip, rip”! Penelope’s claws had been trimmed back past the quick, almost to the sheath!!! How painful!!! No wonder she was biting!!
Mom L and Dad P set Penelope up in a large cage on Miss Debbie’s front porch. We thought she would spend several days here being fed and getting to know the sound and smells so we could release her.
Well Miss Debbie and Penelope had a whole other set of thoughts in mind!! MOL!!!
Miss Debbie found she could open the cage, clean the litter box, give Penelope her wet food and Penelope never moved from her side. Penelope ate outside the cage and gladly returned to it once it was cleaned.
Standing outside the cage
Miss Debbie spent lots of time sitting next to Penelope’s cage and talking with her. And then she decided it was time for Penelope to come inside and meet their resident cat, Frankie and learn whether or not Penelope could be her inside lap cat.
What a change!!! Yes, Penelope is aggressive toward Frankie. Yes, Penelope still tries to bite. Yes Penelope loves a lap. Yes, Penelope has found a patient, loving human, Miss Debbie, who is working with her to bring her inside forever.
You can see that Penelope enjoys being inside. She also enjoys a nice lap and gives paw hugs to show her appreciation for a kind, patient human.
Dad P and Mom L took down the outdoor cage today, and Penelope is living in Miss Debbie’s office for now. They will keep on working to hopefully make Penelope trust that she is safe once again. But, even if she cannot adjust to being inside and cease her aggressive behaviors, she has found her forever home!
Welcome home Penelope!!
