When we first met Odessa at a showing in a local pet store, she had a little
sign on her cage, "My name's Odessa... I've been returned to the shelter
several times... I'm a little shy... I don't know why no one wants me."

Their loss is our gain.

I'm convinced that, outside of the ones who returned her for
life-threatening allergies, these people didn't have the patience to deal
with a feral. Odessa has become a little sweetheart. She no longer hides,
but stays with us. She plays with the others, although she's not into
roughhousing like the Juvies. And when we get to pick her up (for she is
still a private person and sometimes she wants to go off and meditate)
she'll cuddle herself in and stay in our arms for hours. She even shows us
her belly, which I consider a very friendly overture from a cat. We call her
our little doll; she has tiny paws and an itty-bitty nose, and reminds me of
kitty figurines I see in gift shops.

We got new furniture recently, and she'll curl up on it because it's nice
and soft, but she spends a lot of time in front of a heating vent that we
now refer to as Odessa's Heater. It used to be Fritzie's Heater. It makes
Louie and me feel so good to see a black cat snoozing there again! Like she
really does feel at home now. And I think we did good by our babies.

Blessed be,
Baha, proud mama

--

Three thousand years ago,
cats were deified in ancient Egypt.
To this day, they have not forgotten.