| 
|
Chapter 17. The Taming of Miss Kitty s
In being a "Pet Partner" of the New York City Animal Care and Control shelter (NYCACC), we are sometimes requested to take a cat or dog whom one of the shelter workers takes a particular liking to. So, it was one day in February, 2004 I received a call from Conrad, one of the rescue coordinators at the Manhattan shelter. "There is a very pretty and nice Calico cat here who needs to get out soon. Can you take her?" he asked. "Sure, Conrad, We have room for one cat. I can pick her up tomorrow."
The next day I went to NYCACC to pick up the pretty Calico cat named, "Miss Kitty." Conrad was off so Micaela took me into the ward to see the cat. Immediately, upon seeing me, a low warning growl emanated from the cat's throat. "She seems a bit nervous," I said to Micaela. "Maybe it is better if you get her out of the cage."
Micaela took my carrier and reached into the cage to remove the cat. The low growl suddenly became a LOUD SHRIEK and the cat's claws reared out, catching Micaela on the outside of her eye. Blood began to shoot from Micaela ripped skin.
I had some serious doubts about taking this cat, despite the fact that Micaela somehow managed to get Miss Kitty into the carrier. Hopefully, she is just scared, I thought to myself. But, the signs certainly weren't looking good.
Nevertheless, a promise is a promise. I did not want to go back on my word to Conrad.
I brought "Miss Kitty" to one of my primary foster people. Elizabeth Wilson has fostered many dozens of cats for NYCA over a period of about four years. She is experienced with all kinds of cats and is one of our most reliable people. "Miss Kitty is very scared," I told Elizabeth when walking in with the cat. "Don't try to pet or touch her for now. Just let her chill."
"Will do," Elizabeth said confidently. "I'll fix up a place in the bedroom and leave her alone. She sure is a pretty cat!" "Yes, with that perfectly balanced black, white and orange, she looks like an abstract painting, doesn't she?" I asked. I was thinking, "pretty is as pretty does." I desperately hoped the cat would calm down after a couple of days.
Elizabeth has never been one to needlessly complain or exaggerate matters. Therefore, I was a bit surprised when she called me a couple of days later to tell me that when feeding Miss Kitty, the cat leapt up and stabbed her hand. So bad apparently, that Elizabeth went to a doctor for a Tetanus shot. "Do you want me to pick her up?" I asked Elizabeth. "No, no, it's ok. I will be fine" Elizabeth said.
Now I was really concerned about this cat's temperament. Miss Kitty certainly didn't seem very "adoptable." It was bad news that my foster person was being attacked!
While at NYCACC the following day, I asked Micaela to look up the "profile" on Miss Kitty. A profile is information given from the previous owners.
It seems "Miss Kitty" was given up from a family for "moving." But, the shocker was that the former owners indicated Miss Kitty, "Loved Children" and " liked going for walks on a leash!"
"Is that for real?" I asked Micaela, completely awed by the information. "Loves kids?" "Walks on leash?" "No one can touch this cat!" Micalea, with a Band-Aid now covering the outer corner of her right eye, couldn't believe it either. "It is pretty incredible," she said. "Look, if you are really having a problem with the cat you know you can always bring her back."
"Well, you know we don't give up on cats that easily, Micaela," I said optimistically. "I have never had to bring an animal back."
Nevertheless, matters only became worse with Miss Kitty.
The following day, Elizabeth called to tell me Miss Kitty was very sick with an Upper Respiratory Infection. The cat hadn't eaten for the past three days. "I will be right over, " I told Elizabeth.
I had already made an appointment with my vet when I picked up Miss Kitty.
Because Miss Kitty was now weak and sickly, she was no problem to pick up and put in a carrier. I would have to leave her at "Dr. G" for medical treatment. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was more than happy to foster a different cat. "Do you want me to bring Miss Kitty back when she recovers?" I asked Elizabeth. "Oh, no, it will be fine, she said. "I will just take a different cat."
Miss Kitty spent ten days at the vet at a cost of over $300.00. I briefly wondered to myself if I was throwing scant funding away on "saving" an unadoptable cat. One who "loves children" and "walking on leashes" but who attacks people. It wasn't a question, however, I could consider deeply then. As a "no kill" organization, my first job was to get the cat better and then worry about such issues.
Since Elizabeth was fostering a new cat and I didn't dare put Miss Kitty with any other fosters, I had to bring the feisty feline to my home upon her recovery from URI.
I set up a large cage for Miss Kitty in order to separate her from my other animals, as well as monitor her eating and drinking. Upon releasing her from the carrier, the low growls again emanated from Miss Kitty's throat. I did not dare try to touch her.
Miss Kitty's appetite was now good and later that evening I approached her cage to fill her food and water bowls. Upon opening the cage door, Miss Kitty's right paw lashed out at me with the intensity and power of Mike Tyson swing.
The bowl of food went flying all over the cage. Thank goodness it wasn't my hand! I nervously thought to myself. It was indeed a risky venture just trying to feed this cat! What did I get myself into?
The next day, I tried to push the food in the cage with a kitchen spatula. But, Miss Kitty was not to be fooled. This time her outstretched claws flew passed the object and sunk deeply into my forefinger. Blood immediately spouted all over the floor.
"You piece of crap!" I screamed out in pain and frustration. "What in the HELL is WRONG with you?"
I was now convinced of my personal insanity for having saved and wasted over $300.00 on a totally vicious animal. -- One I would be "stuck with" for the rest of the cat's life.
That is, of course, if Miss Kitty didn't kill me first!
My finger was already swelling and turning colors from where Miss Kitty had dug in her claws. What was I going to do with this animal?
The following day, I decided it was not worth my life trying to care for Miss Kitty in a cage. I carefully opened the cage door and beckoned her to "come on out!"
Miss Kitty jumped out of the cage and carefully made her way through my apartment, growling and shrieking various warnings to my one dog and several other cats. The other animals instinctively knew this cat meant business. They avoided Miss Kitty like the plague.
Miss Kitty took up primary residence in my kitchen and hall. I now had to be especially careful in getting things out of the refrigerator if Miss Kitty was perched on top of it and I also had to take great pains walking through the hallway. It was like tiptoeing over glass. Several times Miss Kitty attacked my legs in the hall. And her paw was always poised to strike if I came too close to her near the fridge. Still, I did not have to worry about feeding Miss Kitty. The food was always on the floor and she found her way to it on her own time -- and the sparing of my life!
Over the ensuing weeks, Miss Kitty and I seemed to work out a kind of "truce." She watched me very guardedly anytime I ventured into the kitchen, but her strikes were becoming fewer and further between. I teased Conrad at the CACC about the "crazy" cat he had requested me to take. "Did you actually pet Miss Kitty?" I asked him? Conrad assured me he had on one occasion. "Was she stoned on catnip or something?" I asked incredulously. To this day, I dared not touch Miss Kitty. She was the only cat in over ten years of rescue I was truly afraid of.
Miss Kitty began to slowly explore other areas of the apartment. The other pets still maintained "safe" distance from her. On those occasions when an adopter came to look at or adopt another cat, I had to warn them not to try and touch Miss Kitty. "She's very pretty, yes. But, she is a nervous cat. Watch your hand." The last thing I needed was for this "crazy" cat to attack a visitor.
A few weeks ago, a personal friend and fellow cat lover came to visit me. I told Betty Forel all about Miss Kitty. "Be careful, Betty. She may come out, but don't try and touch her." "Oh, she is just probably very scared," Betty said sympathetically. "Well, that's what I first thought," I told Betty. "But, one tends to change their mind after their hand has almost been dismembered a few times!"
Miss Kitty surprisingly seemed to take a liking to Betty. She approached Betty in the hall, but instead of growling and holding her paw in position to strike, Miss Kitty's tail was up, as if in greeting.
Betty bent down and gently cooed to Miss Kitty. She held out her hand. "Betty, be careful," I warned nervously. "She could turn any second." But, instead of turning, Miss Kitty slowly approached and sniffed Betty's hand. She made no attempt to strike. After a few moments of this, Miss Kitty moved on. I was quite amazed.
Was this a possible breakthrough? I wondered.
It was in fact, a breakthrough.
Over the next few days, I began to slowly approach Miss Kitty and a few times was able to run a hand down her back. Her tail was held in an "up" position more and more, indicating a kind of kitty cheerfulness and good mood. Miss Kitty began to come up to me and rub herself against my legs.
A week or so later, I began to pick up Miss Kitty. And to my utter amazement, she liked being picked up!
It is now over a month since the initial breakthrough with my friend. Miss Kitty now loves being petted and will sometime gently swat at my legs if I don't give her enough attention!
Miss Kitty occasionally plays with the other cats and shows a great curiosity in running out the door everytime I go in or out of my apartment. I have to constantly go and scoop her up from the building stairwell. This is simply the most fun "game" to Miss Kitty! Making Patty go and pick her up from the stairs. Thank goodness that she did not play this game, when I dared not touch her, much less pick Miss Kitty up!
It seems at long last the "taming" of this particular "shrew" is almost complete. Miss Kitty has evolved into a kind of comical and loving cat.
"Loves to walk on leash?" Well, I could almost see that now. "Loves children?" Well, I don't know that, despite her amazing progress, I would readily adopt Miss Kitty out to a family with kids. I still have those memories of Miss Kitty's early days with both Elizabeth and me.