We Love Lucy!

We got a call a few weeks ago from our Vet with an unusual request.  She had given a home to a kitten from the animal shelter they help run, and it hadn't been accepted by her older animals.  She hoped we would consider taking her in.  It is hard to say no to someone who has helped us so much with all our animals over the years, so we're giving it a try!  Our new lil' girl is a long hair orange tabby with beautiful orange and green eyes, who is definitely a curious cat!

Lucy came home with me after work today.  She does have some issues, but they are pretty minor in the scheme of things.  She had some severe ear infections when younger (she is about 8 months old now), and has at least one burst eardrum.  We're not sure she isn't deaf - she doesn't respond to noises, but then, she's been distracted by her new surroundings.  She also has a significant head tilt, perhaps related to the ear issues, but it -doesn't appear to affect her jumping ability, which seems consistent with an 8-month-old!  Dr. D is also lending us a dog crate to help introduce her to the herd - we've used this method when introducing our two latest FIV+ cats, where fighting and fluid exchange could put the health of the other cats at risk.  After a few weeks of getting to know her new brothers and sisters, they are usually ready to mix it up without serious altercations.

She had a great trip to the house - alert, but not complaining at all till we turned into the cul-de-sac when she finally let a few meows out.  She seems to tolerate her cage pretty well but made sure to let us know not to forget her when it was feeding time for everyone.  She enjoyed the 2 servings of her usual food Dr. D provided that I gave her, then while everyone else was sleeping off their dinner, I let her out to explore a bit and she ate another bowl full of leftovers in the kitchen!  She also was the first cat to play with the ball-in-the-track in years!  She pays close attention to the other cats passing her cage, and is quick with a hiss - most of the adults in the room are pretty much ignoring her, since we've got 3 other orange cats.  I think it will be fun having a youngster in the house - we'll see if the others agree!