Rescue Tails / Going to Great Heights

Why do most people choose the animals they adopt? Breed, looks, personality, age, or similarity to past pets can all play a part in people’s choices. Yet, some very special people choose based solely on the needs of the animal. Jackie is one of those unique individuals.

We met Jackie in the summer of 2020 when she moved to the Keys from California. She had been visiting our website long before she moved here and had noticed Oma, a cat who had been with us for years after arriving as a feral kitten. In spite of our efforts and foster care, Oma remained fearful and unfriendly. She was passed over year after year by adopters. From a distance, Jackie made a commitment to Oma: if Oma was still at the shelter when she moved, Jackie would adopt her. When she arrived in the Keys, she adopted Oma, in spite of knowing Oma’s history and in spite of never actually meeting Oma because of COVID restrictions. This cat badly needed a home, and Jackie was willing to provide one!

Fast forward to a more recent time when Jackie stopped by the shelter just to visit the cats. It was nice to see Jackie again. We learned Oma was continuing to do well living with Jackie, her dog, and her senior cat Poppy. Although she wasn’t ready for another cat, we introduced her to a handsome black and white cat named Thimble.

Thimble’s story resembled Oma’s in many ways, and he was at the shelter during the time we had Oma. We got him as a kitten when we were still at the old shelter. Like Oma, he was shy and not a people-cat. Like Oma, his favorite perching spots from the beginning were the highest in the room. While never bitey or scratchy, he always kept to himself when around people. He was not the kind of cat most people want. What made Thimble special was how the other scared cats or newbies would gravitate to him. At our old shelter, we would find him high on a shelf in the company of one or more cats. He was their lifeline, providing support and comfort. Thimble was a gentle soul. When we moved to our new shelter, he continued to show his preference for high, safe spots, out of the reach of most visitors. He was an observer, not a participant. During cleaning when we had to replace his bed, we would politely ask him to move. He would patiently wait on the adjacent platform and then immediately reclaim his position but on the new bed. During our participation in the Jackson Galaxy shelter cat program, both he and Oma were star pupils. Both cats became champion high-fivers under the tutelage of staff and volunteer trainers. In fact, at one point, the cats were learning to high-five each other before Oma went home.

Time passed, and Jackie lost her senior Poppy to old age. She still had Oma and her dog and was now ready for another cat. Thimble had now been with us even longer than Oma had; he had just passed his sixth year with us! Again, Jackie showed us her very big, kind, and open heart and chose him to adopt. All she wanted was to give Thimble the same opportunity she gave Oma. No expectations, no timetable, just a safe comfortable place to land where love and affection would be waiting for him when he decides he’s ready. So Thimble and Oma have come full circle and are together again, only this time in a wonderful home with an even more wonderful human!

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