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| Name: |
Katie
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Age: |
Ten years old
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| Gender: |
Female
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Kind: |
Grey Tabby
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| Home: |
Bolingbrook, Illinois, USA
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We
were stationed at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, while in the Air
Force. 'Patch' fit its name very well, being very small, so walking
everywhere was quite common. During one of those walks, I could see what
could only have been a stray mamma cat and three tiny kittens living in an
area protected by a very large chain-link fence. Being an obsessive animal
person, I couldn't stand this situation. Unfortunately, said fence was
protecting a highly-classified building so there was no way I could possibly
get to the cats - under normal circumstances, anyway. Undaunted, I went to
the entrance of the building and asked to speak to someone who could possibly
assist me in rescuing the cats living in their yard. I was told that several
people working in the building had tried numerous times to rescue the felines,
to no avail. However, I left my work and home phone numbers and asked that if
they could manage to gain custody of any of the cats, I would come get them
immediately. About two weeks went by when I received a call at work that they
managed to get one of the kittens and I could come get it. Fortunately, my
boss knew enough about me that he understood my leaving work for this reason
was a given.
When I got there, they had the kitten in a Styrofoam cooler
(with the lid askew), where they had managed to trap her using a can of tuna
as lure. She was so tiny and scared! When I went to reach in to lift her
out, I was quickly warned by several people to be careful because that kitten
had no intention of going without a fight! And they were right!! That tiny,
pitiful-looking little kitten bit right through one of my fingers, but I did
not let go. Instead, I held her close to me and soothed her as I started
walking to the base shoppette to buy some food for her. I looked like a
wicked version of Hansel and Gretel, leaving a trail of blood drops as I went.
I got to the store and enlisted someone's assistance to pick out what I
needed, take it to the register and reach into my backpack to retrieve my
wallet to pay for the supplies. I slept on the floor with this little kitten
for three nights until she could calm down and realize no one was going to
hurt her (couldn't put her in the bed with me or she would have fallen a long
way). I named her Gretchen, although in hindsight in should have been Gretl
(German spelling). She stole my heart and became one of those 'once-in-a
lifetime' pets that teaches you more about yourself than you ever even knew
existed! Even her German vets always said how different she seemed - like
she was somehow more than just a cat. Unfortunately, it turned out that
Gretchen had a bad heart and only lived three years, under the wonderful care
of her German vets. I still cry over her to this day and she died in 1996. I
swore that I would never in my life have another grey tabby!
Fast forward to 1998. We retired from the Air Force and moved to our current
location in IL. Because I had other pets (a greyhound and two cats) that had
come with me from Germany, I soon had a regular vet (located in another town).
It just so happened that this vet office was involved with their local
shelter so I was aware that they housed animals for them. Eventually, I
started entertaining the idea of loving another grey tabby since they are my
favorite feline, but then realized there was no way I could afford the
adoption fee at the time. So one day I decided to leave my name and number
with the front desk, along with a note letting them know that if they came
across a female grey tabby kitten being given up by anyone to please give them
a chance to call me before the kitten was accepted into the shelter. A year
went by and I had given up on ever being called, but I never did get any other
chance during that time to adopt another cat, either. Finally, I prayed
specifically for a grey tabby kitten to come into my life. Not a month later,
I received a call from my vet's office that someone was there to give a female
grey tabby kitten to the shelter because they couldn't keep it due to
allergies. It turns out that a mamma cat and her kittens were found in their
church, but this one was overlooked. Nice touch!! I knew this one was meant
to be mine and I fell in love with her immediately! Katie has turned out to
be quite the Diva, but that's my own doing. She has such a graceful, loving
way about her, and is so beautiful, we couldn't help but be drawn in by her
many charms! People who see her 'in person' ('in cat'?) comment on how regal
a presence she is. Katie has helped to mend the hole in my heart left by one
previous, precious grey tabby.
And guess what - now I volunteer with Humane Haven Animal Shelter in
Bolingbrook, IL!
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