Update: Twilight

I was able to meet and get to know Twilight a little in the spring of 2011 when she was caged for a time. Staff had noticed she was looking a little thin and brought her inside to fatten her up a bit.

During her time in the cage, Twilight gradually went from hiding from us to enjoying visits and cuddles. Once she was released, though, she quickly disappeared into the back pens and pretty much forgot that she'd ever decided humans could be her friends. From what Leslie tells me, this has been something of a standard cycle for Twilight: being brought in, becoming tame and cuddly, then going back outside and forgetting we can be trusted.

After the latest bit of cage time, Leslie has been hoping that Twilight will at last break the cycle and just stay friends with us. So far, it seems like she just might.

Twilight's been continuing to spend time in the doublewide where she'd been caged, sometimes in the cage itself and sometimes on the back porch. I've been able to visit her in both places, and although she's still uncertain at first, it takes little more than a smile to get her lifting her tail up and thinking about coming forward for some purrs and cuddles.

Twilight and Rosie
The cage is open -- they just enjoy each other's company.

Twilight has started going outside again, but Leslie says that she's continuing to come inside to visit her and will even cautiously approach for pats. Let's hope it sticks this time!

Rosie

Rosie was brought to the sanctuary in 2001 after fending for herself living a homeless life. I’m told she was very scared on arrival as many cats are when they first come from a life on the streets. Her ears were sideways facing or what we call “airplane ears”, a message to those around her to “back off”. It took Rosie a long time to warm up to life at the sanctuary but eventually she came around and is a now known as a sweet, but shy girl.

I met Rosie this summer when she was being treated as an in-patient in the double wide for an ear infection. Armed with my scoop bucket and shovel, I was ready to enter her cage. Not knowing her, I watched her for a minute or so to get an idea of her temperament. Huddled in the corner, she looked back at me with worried eyes and pupils the size of saucers. I decided a quiet, respectful approach would be best to introduce myself.

Rosie is a striking cat with black and orange calico markings. Once in her cage, I bent down to scoop her tray when I felt a soft nuzzling at my ear. Little Rosie had decided that I might be someone she would like to get to know better. I started to stroke her and to my surprise she soon came out of her shell and was revelling in the attention she was getting.

Apparently Rosie lives in back pens but I found her last week in the newcomers building, ear infection long behind her. She was having a little dinner when I came upon her and she bolted under a stool at my approach. Patiently, I waited for her to remember the friendship we had started in the summer. She looked up at me as if contemplating whether I was worthy of another try. Happily, the answer must have been “yes” as she came out from under her stool and with a coy tilt of her head, nuzzled my arm, friendship rekindled.