Harley walked into our lives a year ago yesterday. He had a long journey across Sweden to get to us, but he made himself at home instantly. He bonded with Fluffy from the first moment, and soothed our broken hearts when Fluffy died a few weeks later.
I am endlessly grateful that he came in addition to Fluffy, rather than instead of. No cat could ever have filled Fluffy's big shoes, but Harley never had to. He had his own little patch in our hearts from the beginning.
I normally only have rescue cats, but Harley came to us from a lovely home for my birthday last year. To be honest, as much as I love fostering, rehabilitating and adopting rescue cats, it was so nice to have a well-adjusted, confident, socialised kitten from day 1. People don't generally talk about the bad parts of rescuing animals, but it can be tough. You need patience, and experience. You need to rehabilitate and train. You need to remember that trauma informs many of their reactions. Harley had none of that. He bounced in as happy as a clam and loves all other creatures. Best birthday present ever!
No comments:
Post a Comment