Monday, March 23, 2015

A New Home for Kola


Amid the problems that Tungsten is facing, there is good news, though even this is bittersweet for me. Kola will be going on a trial-adoption this week. The signs look good, however, that he will be staying in a new and permanent home.

His prospective adopters are from High River, a town about an hour and a half away from where we reside. Since Cammie’s mercifully short adoption by someone in Regina, I’ve been very wary of long-distance adoptions. However, this is not like sending Kola to Seattle (there was an inquiry for him from there once). It’s no trouble at all for him to come back from High River if things don’t work out.


But the people who are going to be coming to take him home on Wednesday seem very nice indeed. I haven’t yet met them but have talked to one of them. They are a mature couple, the husband of whom is fully retired and home all the time, so Kola will have company all day. They are experienced cat-fanciers whose last cat passed away at eighteen. They are friends with another person whose adoption from the rescue-society I work with (the PAW Society of Lethbridge) was and is successful. These are all positive signs.

I spoke with the wife of the couple on the telephone. There was none of the ‘yeah, whatever; give me the cat’ attitude that came from the woman who briefly took Cammie home. Kola’s prospective adopter asked pertinent questions and listened to the replies. Significantly, the questions she asked were phrased in a manner that suggested she was looking for ways to make Kola comfortable and happy - does he need this, should he have that - not in a way that conveyed worry that there may be inconvenience or bother. She inquired about whether he liked cat-trees, even though he is declawed, and if there were indications of arthritis, an ailment that sometimes goes with declawing. She wanted to know what food Kola ate and whether he would like to sleep on the bed. This was all good for me to hear.


I will miss the Floof King. Like all my foster-cats, I was reluctant to take him on and will be even more reluctant to let him go. But each day here, he must be locked away in the parlour when I go to work, because I can’t risk Tucker fighting with him, which still threatens to occur. Each night is the same. Kola is wary of all the other cats, though he does interact with them. He is expanding the area in which he lives in my house, but the process has been slow.

Now, he will have a whole house in which to have fun. He will be the only cat, though there is a little dog. I foresee less trouble between the two of them than I have witnessed between Kola and the other cats in my household. He has lived with a dog previously, and I think a compromise will be quickly reached between the animals. Kola adapts quickly. He loves attention and will receive plenty of it.

I will report more when his new people come to collect him and, later still, when I talk to them in a few weeks. While Tungsten struggles to keep the life she has, Kola is given a new one. That is how the universe works.

13 comments:

  1. Such a bittersweet post. I'm cautiously optimistic for Kola--it really does sound promising, but will wait to read a (hopefully) fantastic update from you before passing final "judgement." Lots of purrs and Light to him, though, that it works out all round!

    As for Tungsten...My heart is heavy for you in particular. How lucky cats are, not to dwell on difficulties to come.

    Peace.

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  2. This does sound like a happy "forever" home for the Floof King. I hope it works out--any good cat owner would be very lucky to have that guy.

    It truly is a bittersweet, unsettled period in your cat-household. May things be happier all around soon.

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  3. This sounds so promising for Kola and I'm thrilled he is getting this opportunity to find his forever family. I'm sure he'll be nervous at first but hope he settles in quickly.

    I'll be watching for the update!

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  4. You must know by now, we've all fallen in love with Kola. A forever home with his very own family to love him would be so wonderful. Of course, it would be lovely if he could stay with you , and us, forever. You're such an amazing cat dad.
    Please kiss Kola for us.

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  5. This sounds like a lovely forever home for Kola. They sound very caring, and I hope after talking to them further you will continue to have good feelings about them. Trust your instinct. It gave you a bad feeling for Cammie's adoption a while back. If you feel these people are genuine, I am sure they will be. I know you will miss him very much, but a home as an only cat sounds ideal for him.

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  6. I understand the angst: reluctant to take him and then the want to not release him. A forever home of his own especially where his people would be with him so much is a Godsend. I hope that whatever is best works for Kola. We will certainly miss hearing and seeing his photos as he is such a glorious cat.

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  7. you have done wonderful things for Kola and now it is his chance for a forever home that sounds like they will love him on his terms. how wonderful....

    we will be sending purrs for Kola and his new family and continued purrs for you and Tungsten

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  8. Just keeping Tungsten and Kola in our thoughts and purrayers.

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  9. it can be so hard to give up those kitties that have needed more from us.. no home will understand or care more than we do.. but they will care and they will love him, and that will be enough..

    Best wishes Kola and congratulations to his new family

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  10. I imagine it is very hard to give them up when you foster them. But it does sound like a good home. I guess today is the day they are picking him up. Hope you aren't too sad.
    Also hope that Tungsten is doing better.

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  11. Just checking in to see how Tungsten is feeling. She's in our prayers.
    And Kola? Prayers for him too.

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  12. I hope Tungsten is hanging in and starting to eat on her own. Continued purrs and purrayers.

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  13. I hope he is happy and spoiled and loved at his new home. May they know how honored they should be that he will live with them.

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