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Chapter 25: Selma and Sweetie: The Unlikely Match Made in Heaven
Quick, Anita, open one of those cans! Let's see if she's hungry.
Anita opened a can of Kitty tuna and slowly placed it as near to the skinny, hiding cat as possible. Once catching a whiff of the tuna, the cat's initial fear of us was overcome by hunger. She inched carefully towards the food and once there, ate voraciously.
I climbed carefully over broken slabs of wood and other debris to get closer to the hungry cat. I began to pet her slowly on top of her head. She did not attempt to flee. Instead, her tail raised in the air and she began to arch her back in pleasure. It seemed obvious that this was not a “feral†cat, but rather one who at one time, had been in a home.
"She seems like a nice cat," Anita said from behind me. "What can we do with her? We can't take her to the ASPCA." "No, I said, but we will need to get one of those box carriers from them. Dr. Peterson is open. We can take her there, get her vetted and then figure something out. The main thing is to get her out of here."
Anita agreed and quickly left to go back to the ASPCA to buy a box carrier. Snow began to lightly fall and I became concerned that the cat might run away once the food was gone. But, she enjoyed the petting and attention she was getting and despite the snow and freezing temperatures, continued to rub against me, begging for more.
My hands were frostbitten by the time Anita arrived back with a cardboard carrier with an ASPCA logo on it. The snow was now coming down heavily. Luckily, the cat remained, still rubbing against me and attempting to follow anytime I moved a short distance. Within a minute or so, we had the cat safely placed in the box. Anita and I then had to navigate carefully our way out of the junk lot. Soda cans, broken glass and piles of shattered wood were now covered by ice and fresh snow.
Dr. Peterson's East Harlem Vet Clinic was located at 118th Street and First Avenue. By the time, Anita and I arrived there from 109 th Street, we were covered in snow.
"We just rescued this cat from a few blocks away," I explained to Dr. Peterson's wife and assistant, Sabina. "Can we get her in for testing, shots and a spay?" "No problem," Sabina smiled. "You leave her with us and we will take care of everything. You can pick her up tomorrow."
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I had known Selma Levinson since my days working at the Fund for Animals.
Selma was a lovely lady in her mid sixties who had long been a contributor to the Fund and later to us as a fledging Animal Rescue organization. Selma had always been a dog lover and owner. She had owned toy fox terriers (bought from breeders) for many years. But, recently her last remaining dog died at 17-years of age after a long illness.
Selma was beside herself with grief over the loss of her beloved dog, as well as now living in an empty apartment. But, because she was having knee problems that affected her ability to walk, she was concerned about getting another dog. Did we have dogs that were paper trained and didn't need to go out?
While I was aware that there are people who have dogs that never go out, I had never known a dog who didn't love and want to go for walks. To me, it was not in any dog's best interest to be kept strictly indoors. I asked Selma if she ever considered having a cat?
Selma had never had a cat and indeed knew little about them. But, as an animal lover, she was not entirely closed to the idea. Selma was the type of person who would always do right by any animal she would have. Though she truly loved dogs, she didn't want to deprive an animal of important needs due to her disability.
Selma and I had casually discussed the possibility of her getting a cat. But, it was something she wasn't sure of. Selma was still conflicted between her love and desire to have a dog, but her inability to walk the animal. Cats, while cute and cuddly in other people's homes, were completely unfamiliar and alien to her.
The day we dropped off the cat rescued from the 109th street junk lot to my vet, I decided to give Selma a call. The cat was, after all very affectionate and needed a place to go after being spayed and vetted. Would Selma consider the idea of fostering a cat for us? It was an idea worth pursuing.
"You know, if I take in an animal, Patty, I could never give it up!" Selma told me. "Well, Selma, I understand that you are not sure about getting a cat yet, but fostering would afford you the opportunity to try something out. At the same time, it would really help us."
Selma agreed to foster the cat, mostly for the sake of helping us. Since she lived downtown, close to Anita's apartment I put both women in touch with each other. Anita would help Selma with information on cats and to buy the right supplies. I would bring the cat to Selma the next day.
Selma lived in a beautiful and spacious apartment on East 12th Street. She had owned a successful lingerie business for many years and now was comfortably retired. Her place was elegantly furnished and immaculate, except for the pile of papers that in Selma's words, "gave birth" on her foyer table.
Selma had a great sense of humor and a warm and generous nature. But, I had always thought of her as a bit elitist where animals were concerned. Selma had grown up in a wealthy home and attended the best schools. Her dogs had formerly been "Show" dogs before she purchased them. Could this woman who had always been used to the best of everything be content with a skinny, grungy stray cat picked up from a Harlem junk lot? I was dubious about the answer to that question, but for now, I was grateful that Selma was willing to offer the cat safe and caring sanctuary. Only time would tell about the other questions.
"You can call me or Anita with any questions you have, Selma," I said, as I opened the cat carrier in Selma's living room. The brown tabby cat tentatively tip-toed out of the carrier and smartly made her way up to Selma, rubbing her back against Selma's legs.
"Oh, look at that!" Selma said. "The cat is slightly cross-sighted! Sorry, you have to take her back!" Selma lovingly joked. I smiled. "Sorry yourself, Selma! You committed to having her at least for one day. If the cross eyes still bother you in the morning, we will run to pick her up." I felt somewhat comforted that Selma could casually joke about the cat's imperfection. This was a good sign! But, more significant was the cat wrapping herself around Selma and Selma enthusiastically responding. Selma was barely looking at me, so enraptured was she with this new pet smooching all over her.
That night, Selma called me. "I've decided to name her, Sweetie," she told me very emphatically. There was now little question that this cat was a foster for Selma.
Sweetie was obviously a keeper.
The next day, a call from my vet however, would severely put that certainty into question.
"I've got some bad news for you, Patty," Dr. Peterson told me somberly. "The cat you brought in the other day is positive for Leukemia."
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Calling Selma to break the news to her was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Already Selma was extremely attached to the little brown tabby cat who slept next to her on the bed and followed her everywhere. How do I begin to tell Selma that the cat she had just openly and totally given her heart to, was unlikely to live past a year or two?
I totally understand, Selma if you can't deal with this. I know the heartbreak you just went through with your dog. Someone told me about a sanctuary that might be able to take Sweetie But, before I could continue, Selma interrupted, "I am not having my Sweetie go anywhere! She is my baby!" The next few years would not be easy for either Selma or Sweetie. About a year after her adoption, Sweetie developed a serious kidney problem (related to the Leukemia) that required regular fluid treatments at the vet. Anita was kind enough to help and accompany Selma on the weekly or biweekly vet visits. Because of the exceptional care she received with Selma, Sweetie went on to live another 7 years, far longer than most cats with this dreaded virus.
In remembering back on this remarkable and committed woman and her loving, devoted cat rescued from a pile of rubble, I have to think that sometimes things happen for a reason. Few people would have had the resources or the will to deal with the special challenges that a Leuk positive cat can present. But, Selma was the right person at the right time. Not only did Selma have the will and the resources, but more importantly, she had the love. Never did Selma see her Sweetie as a burden, but rather, one of the greatest blessings of her life. Both cat and human had one of the closest relationships I have ever witnessed between parties of different species. Indeed, they had come from very different places in life. Nevertheless, Selma and Sweetie were indeed, one of those rare matches made in heaven.
After Sweetie eventually passed, we adopted another, very loving and this time, very healthy cat to Selma. Selma loved "Precious" with all her heart and periodically called me to share anecdotes and jokes about her new spoiled princess. But, sadly, Selma herself became very ill shortly after the new millennium and passed. Always attentive to her responsibilities, Selma arranged for a good friend to take Precious after her death.
I have to think that somewhere in heaven now, there is this warm woman with the gruff humor still threatening to send back that funny looking tabby cat with the cross eyes. Sweetie just looks at Selma, rubs herself against Selma's leg and purrs.