Chapter 3
THE ADOPTION
Peek-a- boo was awakened by the sound of voices and someone opening the cage door. She quickly backed into a corner, and started hissing and swatting at the lady that was coming to get her. “I don’t know if this one will ever be able to be adopted. She seems wild and too afraid of people for a family to take her home,” the lady said. “We’ll, just hafta’ see how she does after we spay her and give her shots.”
The lady quickly and carefully wrapped Peek tightly in a towel, so she wouldn’t be bitten. Peek-a-boo noticed the lady wasn’t hurting her, and the lady’s voice was very soft. After everything she had been through, this gentleness was both new and welcome. Also, Peek-a-boo had never been held before. It was a different kind of experience. It felt strange, awkward and yet good to her, even though she was afraid. She was carried into a room that was very cold and when she awoke, she was back in her cage. She noticed tiny little stitches just below her belly. She licked and licked at the stitches.
The lady came back and softly spoke to her. “Hello there kitty cat, how are you feeling today?” She opened the cage and tried petting Peek-a-boo’s head and ears, but Peek jerked her head away. Then the lady gently moved her to check the stitches. Peek hissed at the lady, but not very convincingly. She was still much too weak to fight. “Well now, it looks like everything is healing nicely, so I am going to give you something to eat.” Peek gratefully accepted the soft food and ate slowly, still cautious and drowsy.
Over time the stitches dissolved and she felt much better. The lady came regularly, petted Peek-a-boo, held her and often changed her litter box. Peek, who had always gone to the bathroom out in the field, learned that the litter box was her new bathroom. The lady also came twice a day to give Peek fresh food and water, all the while speaking to her in a quiet voice. “Well it seems you’re not such a tough gal after all. Maybe we will be able to adopt you out to a nice family. You’re a beautiful lady, you know that don’t you?” Much to Peek-a-boo’s surprise, she began to look forward to the lady’s visits.
One day when the lady was holding Peek-a-boo, something strange started to happen. A place deep down in her throat started to vibrate very fast. The more the lady petted her, the faster the vibration went. She was purring. PPPPPUURRRRRRRRRRRR PPPPUURRRRRRRRRR, came from her throat. The purr was strong and loud. It surprised both Peek-a-boo and the lady. “Wow, you can purr after all. I think you are almost ready for people to see you now, and maybe we will even be able to adopt you out to a nice family.”
In the next few weeks, lots of people came and went, peering into Peek’s cage, and reading the note the pound had written about her. Mixed breed Persian cat with no name, the note said. Purrs when you scratch her ears and belly- Age: about five years old…Weight: seventeen pounds; gets along with other cats. Many people looked at Peek, but usually she was too big, too old, not a kitten, or not friendly enough for most people. Peek wasn’t mean anymore, she didn’t hiss or spit, that just wasn’t her nature, but she was shy and cautious. She remembered that some humans were not very kind.
One day a man, woman and two boys came to the pound looking for a large cat that wasn’t a kitten, and could get along with the older cat they already had at home. They wanted a cat that needed lots of love and attention. The pound lady quickly thought about Peek-a-boo, and took the family to see her. The man looked at lots of other cats, but the lady instantly loved Peek-a-boo. She put her finger through the wires of the cage and let Peek smell her finger. Peek rubbed her head and ears against the lady’s finger. The cat seemed friendly enough. So the lady asked to see Peek-a-boo the large room. To see how friendly she was. They waited and waited and finally the pound lady came in holding Peek-a-boo. She put her on the floor and let her walk around. Peek smelled everything. She smelled the floor, she smelled the
walls, she smelled the feet of the chairs, and she cautiously smelled the hands of the people. The man petted Peek and spoke to her in a sweet, loving tone. “Hello pretty girl. You are a big beauty aren’t you? Would you like to come home with us?” Peek didn’t know why, but she instantly liked and trusted this man. Maybe it was the soft sing-song tone of his voice. She slowly flopped down on her back for the man to scratch her belly. It felt so good and he was so gentle, that she started to purr very loudly. One by one, the lady and two boys petted her and scratched her belly. “What do you think?” the man said, “I really like this one.” The boys and lady quickly agreed, so they signed the papers, paid the money for the care of the cat, and soon Peek-a-boo was on her way to her new home and a new adventure.
THE ADOPTION
Peek-a- boo was awakened by the sound of voices and someone opening the cage door. She quickly backed into a corner, and started hissing and swatting at the lady that was coming to get her. “I don’t know if this one will ever be able to be adopted. She seems wild and too afraid of people for a family to take her home,” the lady said. “We’ll, just hafta’ see how she does after we spay her and give her shots.”
The lady quickly and carefully wrapped Peek tightly in a towel, so she wouldn’t be bitten. Peek-a-boo noticed the lady wasn’t hurting her, and the lady’s voice was very soft. After everything she had been through, this gentleness was both new and welcome. Also, Peek-a-boo had never been held before. It was a different kind of experience. It felt strange, awkward and yet good to her, even though she was afraid. She was carried into a room that was very cold and when she awoke, she was back in her cage. She noticed tiny little stitches just below her belly. She licked and licked at the stitches.
The lady came back and softly spoke to her. “Hello there kitty cat, how are you feeling today?” She opened the cage and tried petting Peek-a-boo’s head and ears, but Peek jerked her head away. Then the lady gently moved her to check the stitches. Peek hissed at the lady, but not very convincingly. She was still much too weak to fight. “Well now, it looks like everything is healing nicely, so I am going to give you something to eat.” Peek gratefully accepted the soft food and ate slowly, still cautious and drowsy.
Over time the stitches dissolved and she felt much better. The lady came regularly, petted Peek-a-boo, held her and often changed her litter box. Peek, who had always gone to the bathroom out in the field, learned that the litter box was her new bathroom. The lady also came twice a day to give Peek fresh food and water, all the while speaking to her in a quiet voice. “Well it seems you’re not such a tough gal after all. Maybe we will be able to adopt you out to a nice family. You’re a beautiful lady, you know that don’t you?” Much to Peek-a-boo’s surprise, she began to look forward to the lady’s visits.
One day when the lady was holding Peek-a-boo, something strange started to happen. A place deep down in her throat started to vibrate very fast. The more the lady petted her, the faster the vibration went. She was purring. PPPPPUURRRRRRRRRRRR PPPPUURRRRRRRRRR, came from her throat. The purr was strong and loud. It surprised both Peek-a-boo and the lady. “Wow, you can purr after all. I think you are almost ready for people to see you now, and maybe we will even be able to adopt you out to a nice family.”
In the next few weeks, lots of people came and went, peering into Peek’s cage, and reading the note the pound had written about her. Mixed breed Persian cat with no name, the note said. Purrs when you scratch her ears and belly- Age: about five years old…Weight: seventeen pounds; gets along with other cats. Many people looked at Peek, but usually she was too big, too old, not a kitten, or not friendly enough for most people. Peek wasn’t mean anymore, she didn’t hiss or spit, that just wasn’t her nature, but she was shy and cautious. She remembered that some humans were not very kind.
One day a man, woman and two boys came to the pound looking for a large cat that wasn’t a kitten, and could get along with the older cat they already had at home. They wanted a cat that needed lots of love and attention. The pound lady quickly thought about Peek-a-boo, and took the family to see her. The man looked at lots of other cats, but the lady instantly loved Peek-a-boo. She put her finger through the wires of the cage and let Peek smell her finger. Peek rubbed her head and ears against the lady’s finger. The cat seemed friendly enough. So the lady asked to see Peek-a-boo the large room. To see how friendly she was. They waited and waited and finally the pound lady came in holding Peek-a-boo. She put her on the floor and let her walk around. Peek smelled everything. She smelled the floor, she smelled the
walls, she smelled the feet of the chairs, and she cautiously smelled the hands of the people. The man petted Peek and spoke to her in a sweet, loving tone. “Hello pretty girl. You are a big beauty aren’t you? Would you like to come home with us?” Peek didn’t know why, but she instantly liked and trusted this man. Maybe it was the soft sing-song tone of his voice. She slowly flopped down on her back for the man to scratch her belly. It felt so good and he was so gentle, that she started to purr very loudly. One by one, the lady and two boys petted her and scratched her belly. “What do you think?” the man said, “I really like this one.” The boys and lady quickly agreed, so they signed the papers, paid the money for the care of the cat, and soon Peek-a-boo was on her way to her new home and a new adventure.
