ECC NEWS
Open Hearts, Empty Cages: Eve!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Empty Cages Collective is lucky to have many wonderful volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of animals. Some of our volunteers fall in love, while in the midst of working for all of the animals in our care. Mariah Wilson, an ECC volunteer who helps in our shelter space, organizes volunteer recruitment, and with our adoption events fell for a little lovely named Eve. This is their happy ending:
"Eve was one of our first kittens of the season, born on Oscar night, of all things. A litter of six was born, two of whom were too weak to make it, sadly. But the four who remained - Eve included - were rambunctious, feisty, and adorable.
I knew the moment I saw her that she was the one. Isn't that the way it always is? I had been looking for a second cat for a while. My older cat, Kiwi, got along well with his occasional feline roommates and I decided it was time to bring a more permanent member into our lives. When I saw Eve - that crazy Picasso face, that triangle shadow cast off the side of her nose, that wild calico pattern snaking across her whole body - I couldn't stop staring. She was gorgeous!!
As I began volunteering at Empty Cages, I would end my shifts by trying to spend a little time with Eve. This was not an easy feat: she had a good Mom. Too good. Dear GOD was she MEAN. A protective mama cat, feral to the core, Kate spared no energy in making sure we knew that she did NOT approve of us. We actually had to use a cardboard box (the Kate shield) any time we went in to retrieve her kittens for meds. She would hiss, growl, and strike at the shield as we plucked her little fuzz balls up, one by one. But any time spent with Eve was worth it for me, even if it drew a little blood. She was a little nervous about being held at first, but when I sat with her in my lap she would calm down and curiously examine her surroundings. I felt like we had a good thing going, so once she was spayed I took the plunge and put in my adoption application - a week later, little Eve was mine!
Her introduction to her new big (BIG) brother Kiwi was seamless. Eve fell into the routine of chasing him around the apartment and batting at him playfully, and Kiwi, in his typical laid back demeanor, took her abuses. But he doled out some revenge of his own. Occasionally, when she least expected it, he would get a running start on the couch and LEAP, almost landing directly on top of her. Her tail would immediately go ** POOF ** and she would screech and run under the couch.
But their relationship is more love than hate. I often catch them grooming each other and cuddling together in the same chair. When I start clapping and pointing at them, they immediately look embarrassed that I've discovered their secret feline amour. But they've let me take a few pictures of it here and there. Eve is a cuddly, happy, purry ball of love. In fact, as I lay on my stomach writing this, she has taken her typical position under my arms, nestled against my chest. It's her happy place -- her little human cavern. She could lay there purring for hours, letting me give her little kisses. That's my baby girl."
Eve & her big brother Kiwi
Open Hearts, Empty Cages: Eve!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Empty Cages Collective is lucky to have many wonderful volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of animals. Some of our volunteers fall in love, while in the midst of working for all of the animals in our care. Mariah Wilson, an ECC volunteer who helps in our shelter space, organizes volunteer recruitment, and with our adoption events fell for a little lovely named Eve. This is their happy ending:
"Eve was one of our first kittens of the season, born on Oscar night, of all things. A litter of six was born, two of whom were too weak to make it, sadly. But the four who remained - Eve included - were rambunctious, feisty, and adorable.
I knew the moment I saw her that she was the one. Isn't that the way it always is? I had been looking for a second cat for a while. My older cat, Kiwi, got along well with his occasional feline roommates and I decided it was time to bring a more permanent member into our lives. When I saw Eve - that crazy Picasso face, that triangle shadow cast off the side of her nose, that wild calico pattern snaking across her whole body - I couldn't stop staring. She was gorgeous!!
As I began volunteering at Empty Cages, I would end my shifts by trying to spend a little time with Eve. This was not an easy feat: she had a good Mom. Too good. Dear GOD was she MEAN. A protective mama cat, feral to the core, Kate spared no energy in making sure we knew that she did NOT approve of us. We actually had to use a cardboard box (the Kate shield) any time we went in to retrieve her kittens for meds. She would hiss, growl, and strike at the shield as we plucked her little fuzz balls up, one by one. But any time spent with Eve was worth it for me, even if it drew a little blood. She was a little nervous about being held at first, but when I sat with her in my lap she would calm down and curiously examine her surroundings. I felt like we had a good thing going, so once she was spayed I took the plunge and put in my adoption application - a week later, little Eve was mine!
Her introduction to her new big (BIG) brother Kiwi was seamless. Eve fell into the routine of chasing him around the apartment and batting at him playfully, and Kiwi, in his typical laid back demeanor, took her abuses. But he doled out some revenge of his own. Occasionally, when she least expected it, he would get a running start on the couch and LEAP, almost landing directly on top of her. Her tail would immediately go ** POOF ** and she would screech and run under the couch.
But their relationship is more love than hate. I often catch them grooming each other and cuddling together in the same chair. When I start clapping and pointing at them, they immediately look embarrassed that I've discovered their secret feline amour. But they've let me take a few pictures of it here and there. Eve is a cuddly, happy, purry ball of love. In fact, as I lay on my stomach writing this, she has taken her typical position under my arms, nestled against my chest. It's her happy place -- her little human cavern. She could lay there purring for hours, letting me give her little kisses. That's my baby girl."
Eve & her big brother Kiwi