Someone Else's Portia

I actually didn’t think this day would come: Portia is going on a trial-adoption. She leaves Saturday morning.

As readers may have gathered, Po is a cat who would have to have a rather specific family, if she were to leave the Cosy Apartment. She is a calico, has a strong personality, knows what she wants when she wants it, what she doesn’t want, and will not be gainsaid. She has come a long way since the stand-offish girlcat of early May. But with every change, it has been what she has wanted that counted; I may have offered, but she had to accept. Under such conditions, one can imagine the narrow parameters of possible homes for her.

But one fitting very well those conditions has been opened to her. It is undoubtedly Portia’s best chance of her own home. A single lady, mature, retired, with her own house and no other pets, saw Portia advertised. The lady is experienced not only with cats, but with calicos; her last cat died some months ago at twenty. There could be no better opportunity for Po.

I believe portly Po is satisfied living with me. But this is her chance to be happy. She will have one person to herself, without other animals to annoy her or distract the human. If my foster-cat made progress with me, then she should do immeasurably better in this new environment.

Of course, the reality may be different. Portia may simply refuse to adjust. But I don’t think she will. I believe she will be enticed by her new world and find favour with it. I hope so; she deserves such a world. If things go wrong, she will always have a place in the Cosy Apartment.

The trial will last three weeks. Nobody expects Po to become completely adapted to her new house and new human in that time; her prospective adopter knows that winning Portia over will take much more time. But we will know if the hefty calico has set her paws on her new path by then. And who knows? A new house, a new human, no other cats, may all aid her in making a rapid adjustment. The pleasing thing about winning over cats who are slow to trust is that once they trust one person, they are often open to trusting others. That has been seen in our rescue-group’s foster-homes numerous times.

So join me, if you will, in wishing my Portia the best of luck, so that soon she will decide that it is good and proper that she be someone else’s Portia.