Shortly after I began volunteering at the shelter in 2008, when I entered the Green room I starting noticing a tabby who would usually be on one of the top shelves and looking down at me with his eyes wide open (Cupid).  I would go pet him and he would turn and walk away like he was embarrassed, and then he would come back in a little while and repeat the process.  Occasionally he would playfully nip me on the arm.  He didn’t seem to know how to make friends. 

I took an interest in him and noticed in his file that he had been at the shelter almost since the day he was born in 2004, for nearly five years.  The write-up on PetFinder said that he had been ‘overlooked,’ which struck a chord with me.  I thought he should have the same chance to enjoy a home as any other cat, so in July I adopted him.

It certainly hasn’t been an easy process, and for the first month I was concerned that he would never get used to being in my home.   However, Sheri McElroy suggested I get him a playmate, so I fostered Lucy, a little three legged beauty.  Lucy is much more assertive than Cupid and at times he didn’t seem to understand that she wanted to get to know him.   However, after a while they became good friends, and they now snooze together on the bed during the day, although they have their occasional spats as well. 

Cupie (as I call him) has gotten used to my home and several times during the day will parade downstairs with a stuffed animal in his mouth and loudly announce that he has ‘found’ something else from a hunting excursion.  After dropping it and resting a little while, he will go back upstairs for an encore.  He also sleeps on the bed with me and enjoys being petted for long periods of time.  He’ll probably always be a little more distant than most cats, but I’m proud of him for making my home his home as well.               -Robert

It just goes to show that every cat deserves a chance to be someone’s pet even if they run and hide while at the shelter and you have to get on a chair to see them… please consider giving them a home.  -Editor’s note