Friday, March 17, 2023

A Different Kind of River

Zofia is in her new home. She explored a bit, but was scared and confused, as I expected. The easy-going reaction of Horace, and the guarded but interested response of Hector, were not to be repeated with little Miss Zed. I knew she would need time. Fortunately, she will receive it. I am confident that she will adapt to her novel environment soon.

Fostering animals is a strange business, as it must be one of the few instances in which one hopes to be forgotten. Only by putting the past behind them and living in the present can a cat be happy in her new home. It is well that cats are practical creatures and, though they can love a human very much, they are nonetheless rather unsentimental.

Greek mythology placed five rivers in the realm of Hades, to which the dead were brought. One of them was the River Lethe, which gave oblivion to those who had died, allowing them to forget their lives. Zofia is far from dying, but she is leaving her old life behind, and starting again. Soon, she will cross her own Lethe, and remember little of her past, living and loving just her present. Only the cat can cross this river to the far side; the foster-guardian remains on the near, where the memories are.

As hard as it may seem, this is how it should be.

13 comments:

  1. God bless the little lady...!x
    And you John, as l've said before..Your a diamond...
    You do something l could never do...that's why l
    consider you a cut above the rest of us..Your
    caring and sincere...God bless ya..! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hugs to you as you remember Zofia. You can take some comfort knowing she has a good home and making new memories.
    Hugs!
    Purrs, Julie

    ReplyDelete
  3. And she will have a wonderful life, because you loved her first and showed her the way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Miss Zofia, we send purrs you will very soon become comfortable in your furever home. We will miss seeing pictures of you and hearing if you have had a chance to get close to Neville.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear, loved and sweet Zofia. I like the way you expressed what it is like.
    I only experienced that really, to me, terrible time once. We rescued a precious baby girl kitten, only a few weeks old. We found her a mom that loved her immediately. But I had tears . And I tried to inquire about her way too many times, because once I love, I stay that way. It took a while of forcing myself to face that she was truly happy with her mom, and just concentrate on Admiral. I would be a foster failure every single time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Poor little Zo, I hope she realizes soon that she is in another good, loving home.

    I worry about all your fosters when they're adopted. I can't even imagine how you must feel. I join the chorus of people who say they'd have a hard time fostering, even though it's such an admirable and necessary task. I really look up to people like you who can do it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes. those new changes do take time but it sounds like she will have the love and the time she needs to adjust. You did a wonderful thing with her and for her.

    ReplyDelete
  8. You gave Zofia a very good start, and now she has her new life which I hope will be a long and happy one. I agree with everyone else that it is a wonderful job that you do.

    ReplyDelete
  9. There is happiness for Zofia that she found her forever and ever home, but too there is sadness that we say farewell to her for now and wish her well in her new beginnings.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for all you do for kitties.

    ReplyDelete
  11. We are so happy for Zofia, but know parting with her is bittersweet for you. Thank you for loving her first, John.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You helped her to the point where she was ready put this part of her life in a memory box...and start a new one, able to hold much more than the first one.

    ReplyDelete