He Came to Us Broken

Last spring, a scrawny little orange tabby cat was rushed to the vet by a man who watched him get hit by a car and left for dead. Luckily for him (and us), the vet working at the time is a dedicated volunteer and board member of Bedford Humane Society. She made the immediate decision that this special boy would become one more of our growing number of foster cats. She named him Emmanuel after the kind man who refused to ignore the cries of this tiny, broken kitten and performed the life-saving surgery needed to repair his broken pelvis and set him on his road to recovery.

 

 
Because Emmanuel was such a big name for such a small boy, he became known as Manny and he quickly became every one's favorite. He had such a strong and positive spirit that you couldn't help but feel uplifted in his presence. Despite continued issues with his tail that had also been broken in the accident, he was the most playful kitten we'd met in quite a while.

I was lucky enough to have Manny as one of the first cats to be fostered in the cattery my dad and sons built for me. Dubbed the Cattyshack, this special place has a heated building with a completely enclosed front yard. Manny seemed to enjoy the extra space to run and play. He loves to climb the fence and play chase with Kisses and Laki. He enjoys sharpening his claws on the remaining tree in their front yard. And he enjoys cuddling up for an afternoon nap in the house loft. His favorite time of day, however, is treat time where he often "gently nudges" Kisses aside to eat the extra treats she doesn't need. (This is the only way I can coax all of the cats into the house at night. I've tried to bring them in without treats which is how I gained a full understanding of the term "herding cats.")

Manny has other great qualities besides his playful nature and positive spirit. He has always been exceptionally patient when I asked him to play dress up. (I have seen another phenomenal animal rescuer from another phenomenal rescue organization have great success getting cats adopted with cute pictures like the ones below, so I required my poor Cattyshack Crew to give it a try.)

 

 

 

But now they day I had hoped for this special boy has arrived. My sweet Manny has gone home. He has a wonderful couple that will spoil him and a great playmate in their cat-loving dog. I knew how perfect this home was for Manny when his new Dad kept calling him "son" when he was preparing to take him home. "Come here, son." Those words told me that this wonderful man would treat this special boy with as much love, care, and protection as I would my own children.

 

I wanted to share this story because it is so rare that we get to celebrate the adoption of our foster cats into forever homes. Few seem to recognize what excellent companions cats can be. I have been blessed to have Manny as part of my family for the last few months. And I am equally blessed to watch him begin the rest of his life with a wonderful family.

 

So I will celebrate this Christmas with one less foster cat and I will pray that my other foster cats receive the same wonderful homes for the New Year. And then I will refill my Cattyshack with a new crew.

 

 

And I will be forever thankful to this wonderful man who gave this special boy his forever home. He came to us broken, but he leaves us for a lifetime of love.

 

To see more of our adoptable cats waiting for their forever homes, visit our website at www.bhsva.org or check out our videos at www.youtube.com/bhsfoster.

 

Happy forever after, Manny!