I started at Furkids as a purrkids volunteer. Prior to January 2015, I knew nothing about either the program or the shelter, although I was excited to learn about both. This story is about Mama Cass, a cat in the purrkids program.
When the purrkids room was established, I didn't know any of the cats in it, since I limited my time in the shelter to room 10, where my purrkid was. I found my way into the purrkids room a few times, and learned one or two names of the cats. One cat I learned very quickly was Mama Cass, because folks told me she was not friendly; trying to interact with her was paramount to losing fingers. Whenever I entered the room, I made a note of where she was, and proceeded to avoid that particular area.
Fast forward to the spring of 2017, when Joyce Fetterman, founder of the purrkids program, asked me to help evaluate all the purrkids in the shelter. I figured starting in the purrkids room was a good idea, since that's where many of the purrkids are.
I started with the cats I knew, evaluating them over a few weeks, and leaving me with a collection of cats I couldn't identify. Or didn't want to evaluate. Mama Cass was in this second group; I was uncomfortable, maybe even afraid, of her.
On a Friday morning, I evaluated a cat on the top shelf on the right side of the room. As I used a laser to see if Padget would play, I noticed Mama Cass, on the next shelf, following the light with her eyes and looking interested. Out of curiosity, I moved the light near the shelf where Mama Cass lay: she got up and started chasing it! Who knew this kitty would play?!?!
After a moment with the light, I got out a string of beads, wrapped an end around my hand to make the strand shorter, and dragged it from one end of the shelf to the other where Mama Cass had been lying. To my amazement, she started running after the beads!
After a few moments of this, I decided to be brave: I let my pinky finger drag lightly across her hips as I moved the strand by; I got no reaction! After another moment or two of playing, I let the same finger brush a cheek. Mama Cass didn't even pause, she leaned into my finger, hand, and allowed me to completely immerse my fingers in the soft fur of her cheek!
That was the beginning of a great, special, relationship. To this day, I know better than to wake Mama Cass up; she has a quick paw and nearly always draws blood. But if she's awake, and I offer her a finger to sniff, she usually dips her head in invitation and allows me to pet her long soft fur. As for playing? She's nearly always up for it; I have to be careful of the other cats, but she's usually interested in my beads or a ribbon. Sometimes even a laser.