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Christmas 2013, Special Tails
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About ZAK
THE FIFTH CAT OF CHRISTMAS: ZAK
Sometimes it just works…
I’m not a foster but want to share Zachary Tucker Hansen’s (ZAK) adoption story. We had two Black Melanistic Bengals, Char and Coal. Char passed away a year ago last August at the age of 8. He and Coal were bonded litter mate brothers – inseparable from the very beginning. After Char passed away Coal went into a big depression, lost his vibrant Bengal zeal and his insatiable interest in everything around him. He just mostly moped.
I began looking for another Bengal to be a companion for him. I preferred finding one in rescue that could be adopted. I saw ‘Tucker’ on the PPCR website and I just ‘knew’ this was the guy for Coal. So we proceeded with the adoption process. Everyone was so kind and personable. Talking with Tucker’s foster Mom on the phone and then getting to meet her in person was such a great experience. She’s was so knowledgeable and wanted the best for all the kitties she fosters. Learning that this young beautiful purebred Bengal had been owner surrendered to a shelter was so heart wrenching, I just wanted to give him the loving, secure, forever home he deserved. Tucker was so personable, it was love at first sight.
We drove 11 hours each way to pick him up and bring him back home. We isolated him in the master suite bath for the first night. To this day, we are not sure how Coal got the door open; it was shut tight. ZAK is not a door/drawer opener, however Coal is! He had never opened this door before, nor has he opened it since, but that night he got it open without us hearing him and he let ZAK out. Yikes! Coal cannot stand to be shut in a room, so we think he ‘rescued’ ZAK from that predicament. At about 5 am my husband Dave woke me and said “did you let the new cat out?” I said “NO!” and he pointed to the window and there in the moonlight we could see ZAK’s silhouette sitting in the window. I leaped out of bed in groggy astonishment, thinking Oh! No! Danger, danger! I then realized there must not have been any trouble between them, because we had heard nothing and they were both in the bedroom with us. They were sleeping together on day two!
Coal and ZAK are best buddies – ZAK is an acronym for Zee AmaZing KatZen because he healed Coal’s empty heart and captured both Dave’s and mine in the process. We just love this guy soooo much! He has ‘bonded’ to all of us.
Since then we have adopted another Bengal from PPCR – Chakari – we named her Milli. ZAK has assumed the role of social secretary in our home; he welcomed Milli without any fuss and helped her to adjust to her new home by playing with her, sharing his toys and food.
ZAK is one amazing cat who fit seamlessly into our family like it was just meant to be. Thank you PPCR for doing what you do!