Brady

Due to some complicated quirkiness of cat genetics, all-orange female cats are quite unusual. Only about four out of every hundred orange cats are female.   There are a number of orange-and-white females at  RAPS’ Cat Sanctuary but all-orange ones were seldom seen.  Until recently anyway, that is.   For some reason, we suddenly seem to have acquired a few of them.  Brady is the most recent  orange female to arrive – more on the others in upcoming blogs.

Ten-year-old Brady joined us last December, around the same time as big orange-and-white Bubba.  Both of them have feline leukemia and were transferred to us from other cat shelters that  were unable to keep cats with this condition.   Although she’d never met Bubba before coming to the Sanctuary, Brady, like most people and several other cats in the leukemia area, has apparently fallen under his spell.  It seems that Bubba takes after Mario, another big handsome orange and white cat who was also a magnet to other cats.

At first, when still in a cage, Brady was very scared and would hiss and back away from any human encounters.  She gradually mellowed a bit but remained quite shy until she was allowed out of the cage.  Since then, although she still has skittish and reclusive days, she’s turning into a friendly and happy little cat.  I haven’t actually witnessed her cuddled up with Bubba, but she’s often part of the cuddle-puddle in the big “Papa-san” chair. 

When I found her there the other day, surrounded by Lisa Marie and several black cats, she was quite insistent that I pet her, even pushing her little head under my hand when I tried to pet Lisa Marie!  She then proceeded to do a little head-stand and somersault into the middle of the chair so that I could give her a tummy rub!  She must have realized that this was being a bit too forward  and maybe a little embarrassing so she scooted under the chair.  I was able to coax her out into the open with a stringed toy but the petting and tummy rubbing session was over for the day!

Even though she’s not totally comfortable with our attentions just yet, she’s a very different cat from the scared and hissy one who first arrived.   And, being an all-orange girl, she’ll always stay just a little bit more special than the rest!      

Blog by Marianne Moore

Photos by Marianne Moore & Michele Wright