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Christmas 2017, Special Tails
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- From Princess to Queen
About Zoey
The Eleventh Save of Christmas 2017: Zoey
From Princess to Queen
Life had been none too cushy lately, and when one day the two-legs carried her out from the house to the cattery at the back, she thought there had been some mistake. This is none of it good for my delicate nerves, thought the Burmese princess with a wheeze. There were several other cats out here, including boys. The princess was so confused by the turn of events. Zoey (who had a much longer name at that time) shuddered.
Now what was happening? When the two-legs came in with another of her ilk, they tried to take one of the boys first, but he wasn’t having any of it, so they turned to Zoey, who was more civilized. Finally, she thought, she would be carried back into the comfy house. She could not have imagined what was actually about to happen. Zoey was popped into a plastic box, which was not in itself so bad. It had a soft, clean, towel on the bottom, at least. Then she was carried, not into the house but through it and out the front door, where there awaited the metal monstrosity in which she was now imprisoned.
The unfamiliar two-legs slammed the door, circled the metal monstrosity, and opened a door on the other side. “Hi, Double Dot,” she said cheerfully, as if there were reason to be pleased. That was when something truly awful happened. The two-legs poked a key into a hole somewhere in front of her, turned it, and with a roar like nothing Zoey remembered, the metal monstrosity started to move.
Maybe it was the air, or maybe nerves, but the cold Zoey had been battling since the start of all this hubbub made her pretty miserable. Finally the monstrosity stopped, but now the unfamiliar two-legs took the plastic box and handed it to yet another two-legs, who put Zoey into yet another metal monstrosity. Clang went the door, around went the two-legs, the other door opened, and “Hi, pretty thing,” said another cheerful voice. Click went the key, and monstrosity number two roared into motion.
Another long ride ensued, but this time, when the two-legs opened the door, it wasn’t to hand Zoey to another stranger. Instead, Zoey was carried into an actual house and placed in a quiet room by herself. Of course, she was exhausted, and wheezy, and her stomach churned, so when the two-legs came in a little while later with food, it didn’t look very enticing. Maybe later. Much later. Zoey lay down her sad little head and attempted to rest.
The night was pretty quiet, with no further disturbance. Zoey could hear that there were other cats nearby, but she was used to other cats, and besides, it had been one exhausting day.
The next week was one trial after another. The day after Zoey’s long journey, she had to take another, blessedly shorter, trip in monstrosity number two–to see somebody called “the vet.” She had an upper respiratory infection (she could have told the vet that), and was immediately treated with an antibiotic. Home she went, but of course it wasn’t home. She still didn’t feel like eating, and she certainly did not want to play.
That’s when Zoey learned an important lesson. If you don’t eat and you don’t play, the two-legs will take you back to the vet, and that means another ride in monstrosity number two. Burmese are small cats, but at less than 4 pounds, she was a very sick little girl. Blood tests showed she had something called “pancreatitis,” and if she wouldn’t eat, she had to be held like a baby and fed through a tube that shot food into her mouth.
Being held was not so bad, Zoey found, and there must have been something else in that food, because she started to feel better day by day. In fact, sometimes she just felt like seeing the two-legs and called out to summon her.
One day the two-legs came into the bedroom with something in her hand. Was that…a feather? Zoey’s large, round eyes grew even rounder. Weak as she was, hardly strong enough to walk, maybe she could just reach out a bit, muster the old spirit…and DEMOLISH IT!
Two weeks after Zoey’s arrival in “foster care,” she purred for the first time in a long time. The two-legs whom rescues call a “foster mom” was there to hear and…was that a tear that Zoey spied in her eyes? Those two-legs aren’t so bad—very easy to train–and this one, Zoey discovered, excelled at two of Zoey’s favorite things: chin rubs and waving feathers for Zoey to demolish.
As Zoey gained strength, she no longer stayed curled up in a cage but took ownership of the bedroom. She explored everything but gravitated to the bed, above or below the covers. With two-legs, it’s always best to be adamant about what one wants, so when Zoey wanted to play, she would yell to get her foster mom’s attention.
Very soon Zoey responded to her own name and would jump on the bed to be petted and have her belly scratched before settling down to sleep on her foster mom’s chest. When the time was right, she met and befriended the four resident cats. Now all that’s left, so she has heard, is for her foster mom to choose the best real home for Zoey. By the time people read this story, maybe she’ll already be there.
Zoey’s foster mom says that Christmas is about miracles and that Zoey is one. Now that Zoey is herself again, she likes that concept very much.
Update from Zoey’s foster mom: Zoey went to be with her new family today (11/26/17). Her new mom was head over heels in love with this beautiful little girl. I told Zoey there were stairs (I don’t think she has ever seen stairs) for her to run up and down with her brother and 2 sister kitties. Minka, one of the girls, is also a Burmese. She is older and wiser and will teach Zoey the way of the house.
We saved Zoey and you helped us save other just like her. From the bottom of our paws, thank you.
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