Xena was my first selection for Cat of the Week in August, 2007. Due to space restrictions, her story is edited here, but you can read the full story here.
I met Xena while volunteering as an adoption counselor with the local shelter's cats housed at a PetSmart adoption center. My usual sessions were on Sunday afternoons and Xena had arrived at the center during the week. A cleaning volunteer, just finishing her duties, greeted my arrival with a warning to be wary of Xena. "Be careful. She's aggressive!", the woman intoned. Taking the warning under consideration, I decided to first read Xena's biography.
As it turns out, she is a hurricane Katrina survivor surrendered to the Louisiana Humane Society after that disaster struck. She had been stuck in cages of one kind or another for at least six months, finally being moved to North Carolina as part of a special program of assistance offered by our shelter to the Louisiana Humane Society. "Cage rage syndrome" immediately came to mind. In other words, Xena was upset, stressed, and sick and tired of being cooped up in cages with no privacy!
Discovering she is declawed added to my understanding, as declawed cats are a bit more nervous in stressful situations. Well, her cage being on the bottom tier, I quietly opened its door, calmly sat on the floor and gently extended my hand, all the while talking to Xena in a calm and reassuring voice. The poor thing radiated distrust and uncertainty. However, a few minutes later she gingerly came to my hand and sniffed my fingers delicately. The next thing I knew, Xena was head-butting my hand and demanding attention!
We spent a wonderful half hour acquainting ourselves and playing a little bit. The next night she came home with me as a foster cat and a week later became an official member of my family.
Since then Xena has proven to be a sweet and loving cat. I can only imagine what my poor girl experienced during the hurricane's onslaught, as she is rather skittish about loud noises. Even if a plastic bag crinkles a bit too loudly, she'll go scurrying. Thunderstorms have her cowering under the bed. Needless to say, I try to avoid ever raising the volume of my voice in her presence.
It took a natural disaster for Xena and I to meet, but frankly it would take that at least that much, and probably more, for me to even consider giving this sweet little lady up!
I met Xena while volunteering as an adoption counselor with the local shelter's cats housed at a PetSmart adoption center. My usual sessions were on Sunday afternoons and Xena had arrived at the center during the week. A cleaning volunteer, just finishing her duties, greeted my arrival with a warning to be wary of Xena. "Be careful. She's aggressive!", the woman intoned. Taking the warning under consideration, I decided to first read Xena's biography.
As it turns out, she is a hurricane Katrina survivor surrendered to the Louisiana Humane Society after that disaster struck. She had been stuck in cages of one kind or another for at least six months, finally being moved to North Carolina as part of a special program of assistance offered by our shelter to the Louisiana Humane Society. "Cage rage syndrome" immediately came to mind. In other words, Xena was upset, stressed, and sick and tired of being cooped up in cages with no privacy!
Discovering she is declawed added to my understanding, as declawed cats are a bit more nervous in stressful situations. Well, her cage being on the bottom tier, I quietly opened its door, calmly sat on the floor and gently extended my hand, all the while talking to Xena in a calm and reassuring voice. The poor thing radiated distrust and uncertainty. However, a few minutes later she gingerly came to my hand and sniffed my fingers delicately. The next thing I knew, Xena was head-butting my hand and demanding attention!
We spent a wonderful half hour acquainting ourselves and playing a little bit. The next night she came home with me as a foster cat and a week later became an official member of my family.
Since then Xena has proven to be a sweet and loving cat. I can only imagine what my poor girl experienced during the hurricane's onslaught, as she is rather skittish about loud noises. Even if a plastic bag crinkles a bit too loudly, she'll go scurrying. Thunderstorms have her cowering under the bed. Needless to say, I try to avoid ever raising the volume of my voice in her presence.
It took a natural disaster for Xena and I to meet, but frankly it would take that at least that much, and probably more, for me to even consider giving this sweet little lady up!
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