Monday, February 17, 2014

Claire the Foster Kitty


 Look at that face. 

This is Claire and I promised to tell you something about her. A couple of weeks ago, a friend shared a Facebook post from a local organization that places animals in foster and permanent homes.


The bold plea of "Urgent!" went along with a photo of this four year old puss and her brother. The siblings had (not long before) been given away through an ad on an all-purpose website. Soon afterwards, they were no longer wanted by the new people. In her online adoption profile picture, Claire is crouched down, head low, looking fearful.


The new family ended up finding a home for the male cat, leaving the unwanted Claire still with them. For whatever reasons, Claire hid for virtually all of the 3 weeks she was there, or so I was told by the animal group. Apparently, she wasn't the outgoing, friendly cat the family had envisaged.





I'm not anywhere near a feline expert. I've had only one cat, a lovely tabby named Sam who died of lymphoma a few years go at the age of fourteen years.
 
With no foster experience, I took in Claire last Wednesday night. She started off her stay by hiding under the bed or behind the couch, but has been getting increasing more brave. Even by the second night, she was rubbing against my foot. It's hard to know for sure what went wrong in the last household. Perhaps it's as simple as Claire's somewhat shy personality being better suited to quieter surroundings.



As you can see, she's been acclimatizing and likes to flop over for a good belly rub.


Deb, of Just Cats, told me that Claire's beautiful colouring is that of a pastel tortoiseshell. She and several other bloggers gave me some valuable tips and encouragement on how to help this puss settle into her foster home. I'm very grateful to them.

A little time, a little patience, a little affection can make a difference; I'm relearning some lessons on these three things. It's a truism that you get more than you give. As it turns out, Claire's adjustment to her new surroundings has gone much better than anticipated. I admit to feeling relieved about that; I hate seeing fear in an animal's eyes.

Thank you for visiting and indulging me as I get a bit carried away with this lovely girl.

34 comments:

  1. Claire is beautiful and feels very at home there by the way she has exposed her belly . Lovely photos of her . Looks and sounds like she prefers a quieter home . Thanks for sharing I am soo glad you both are enjoying each others company every day !

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  2. Oh my goodness, she is gorgeous. I can already see a change in her eyes in the last photo. She is so much like our Annie that I feel I know her personality. Annie does not take to loud noises or 'surprises' of any sort and would be fearful in a home that is not quiet and predictable. i wish her well. I'm so glad she found you. Deb

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  3. Even I'm not very familiar with cats, I find that Claire is a real beauty and stands perfectly well for all these gorgeous photos of her! Wish her the best, I love animals too Karen!

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  4. Karen - she is so lovely and I am ashamed at that other family for not seeing her value. I am so glad that you were willing to take a chance on her. Some cats do not do well in homes with loud noises and children and I hope that's the case. The fact that she is letting you rub her belly is a great sign. Cats only show their bellies if they are feeling safe in their surroundings. She is such a gem!

    Cheryl @ The Creative Me and My McG

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  5. Beautiful photos of a really gorgeous cat!

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  6. Oh she brings back memories! One of my first cats was a beautiful tortoiseshell manx cat and looked so much like Claire. She is adorable!!

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  7. Well done for taking Claire in! She is a beauty indeed and I think it's wonderful that your relationship with her will be a mutual growing experience.

    Let us know how it goes, please!

    Stephanie

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  8. Hello sweet Claire! Welcome to the great big blogosphere; it's such a pleasure to meet you!

    Karen, she's absolutely darling; her eyes remind me of the sparkling green stones of the Aegean islands!

    Happy Monday!

    Poppy

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  9. Thank you for giving Claire a chance. She is beautiful and already seems to feel safe. I love the photos you have shared.

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  10. Claire knows she is getting love from a lovely lady. She is a beauty.

    Have fun with Claire bossing you around.

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  11. She looks like a lovely kitty and she seems to like having her photo taken. Perhaps the first home was just too boisterous for her, if there was lots of noise and action perhaps it was too much for her, she seems to be taking to you and your home well from what you have said. I hope that you have lots of fun together! xx

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  12. Oh I am so happy for her. And for you. I'll bet she has found just the home, which she was so wishing for.

    She is a pastel tortoiseshell... My very first cat, one I adopted when I was a little girl, was a bit darker pastel tortoiseshell. I named her "Pinky." Very independent was she. It took me a long time of coaxing her and feeding her, to get her to be a pet.

    And when my father brought a puppy into the house, she simply left. -sigh-

    Thank you for the memories....

    Oh and someone told me, that tortoiseshell cats are always female... Does your friend agree, with that? :-)

    Tessa~

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  13. Claire is lovely and I'm hoping she has found her furever home with you!!!!!

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  14. Good morning,Karen
    Claire is a lovely kitty. Seeing her eyes, she looks so smart!

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  15. Hi Karen! I saw your post on facebook and had to come by to see more of Claire. She's so cute and looks happy in her new home. I think it's wonderful that you rescued her. Have a great week :)
    -Lynn

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  16. She is a beautiful cat. I'm glad she is coming out of her shell a bit. Thanks for your kindness. :)

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  17. Karen, she is so beautiful...I can see her blooming throughout your photos, she is in a place where she feels so safe now. Look at her offering up a belly, that's pure trust. Thank goodness you have taken her in.

    Jen

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  18. Claire is such a pretty kitty! I was sure she would warm up to you in no time. Bless you for taking her in.

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  19. Congratulations with Claire, she looks beautiful and feels at home. You did the very right thing to take her home. Wish you many happy years with her.

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  20. Claire is so beautiful her eyes are so wonderful...Very nice kitty...
    thank you for your photos
    french kiss
    nélinha...www.mespassionsentoutessaisons.blogspot.fr

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  21. Claire looks like she is settling in just fine. She looks so soft to touch and tickle and those big green eyes are adorable.

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  22. Ohh, how lovely!
    For me, an exposed cat with worse experience has taken four months until I was allowed to touch it for the first time ... still shy towards all people, but very clingy to me.
    I'm happy for this amazing cat, found a good home with you. Good luck to you both -

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  23. She looks like such a sweet kitty. It's had to know what some pet owners expect from their animals but it's easy to see that Claire likes being with you.

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  24. Oh, she is a beauty!!! Hope she finds her perfect forever home, soon.

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  25. What a beautiful kitty, and how lovely that she has found a safe haven with you at the moment, Karen.
    Thank you for your kind comments.......luckily our part of the UK has escaped the dreadful flooding suffered elsewhere so we are warm and dry here. Today the sun is shining....hope it is for you too.
    Helen xox

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  26. Claire is a beautiful kitty, I love those green eyes. Lovely post, have a great evening!

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  27. Oh my goodness, are you sure Claire hasn't found her forever home? I think she's working on you! She is absolutely STUNNING! The pix of her in front of the lace curtain belong on a calendar! And I love her name. Claire. That was my mom's name and it's a name you don't hear so often these days. Deb from Frugal Little Bungalow sent me your way!
    Donna @ An Enchanted Cottage

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  28. vous avez un coeur genereux
    moi j'en ai garder 3 sauvages , je leurs donnent à manger
    et ils occupent la grange
    c'est la mère et ses 2 enfants
    j'aime tellement les chats , enfin tous les animaux ♥♥♥♥
    tendresse
    edith

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  29. By the looks of it you are doing a truly wonderful job with this little girl. She certainly looks content in your photographs. I'm sure you'll see a big transformation in her in the time she is with you.

    Keep up the good work and trust your instincts.

    Mitzi

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  30. She is beautiful and if she's posing for a belly rub I think that she's acclimating wonderfully ! :)

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  31. Nice cat portraits! You are doing a good thing.

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  32. She is a beautiful cat ! You gave her a wonderful gift by rescuing her, and she is already showing signs that she feels good in your home, that's great :)

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  33. I had to look and see if there was a story about Claire. Knowing the story now and seeing how she looks so comfortable with you and her surroundings is a great comfort. My son rescued a kitten that had been abandoned and left for dead. She is a sweet little thing and I was so proud of his kindness. I hope you will keep Claire as I fear she wouldn't adapt well to new surroundings. I have 3 cats and love them all. I don't think I could offer myself up for being a foster home as I'd end up owning them all! Kudos to you for your compassion.

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