Through
the Eyes of a Cat
Hello, my name is Burgundy! I am five months old and love to play! It disheartening that I have to stay in this big clear box all day. However, if I behave, someone will like me and take me home. I will be taken to a new place, where I can play and run around as much as I want. Of course, I am going to miss my siblings and the Austin Pets Alive volunteers, but I am a big girl now and it is time I leave the nest. You see, unlike many of the other cats here at the adoption center. I have practically lived here my whole life, and have never had a real home before. The volunteers like to call the kittens like me “bottle babies.” This is because I was part of what they call the “baby bottle program,” which basically means that I have been here since I was really teeny tiny; so I had to be bottle fed instead of being raised by my momma. This explains why I rarely went outside while in foster care. Luckily, I’ve made a lot of friends with the cats I live with!
Sometimes, I get jealous of the big cats that were not in the baby bottle program. They have actually had a home to themselves before with their very own owner. I wish I had somebody to call my own! It gets lonely here sometimes, which causes me to think negative thoughts and lose hope, but I am sure it will get better. I have just got to be more proactive and turn the charm up a little bit. Then I will get adopted in no time. I’m sure of it.
The other day a
girl came in to play with me. I had so much fun and I thought she was going to
take me home with her like other people do when they come in here. Sadly, that
didn’t happen. I guess it is just my
rotten luck. Even so, that girl’s visit
gave me a 
new sense of hope that I will be adopted
soon. Something about the look in her
eyes told me that she believed in me and that I would find a caring and loving
home of my own soon. I cannot give up!
In the meantime, I will hang out here with my volunteer and cat friends. I have especially grown close to my friend Xana here at the adoption center. We keep each other company, and play together until one of us gets adopted. It seems like just the other day that I opened my eyes for the first time and knew nothing about the world. Of course, I still know close to nothing about it, but now I have more of an idea about it thanks to the older cats. What I am trying to get at is that it seems like days ago that I was only a small baby with all my brothers and sisters by my side, and now we are all being adopted and separated from each other. One of my favorite brothers who I got along exceptionally well with was adopted not too long ago. It was sad seeing him go. In fact, it is sad seeing anybody go! But, all I can do is hope; hope that he and all of my other brothers and sisters that have been adopted are happy now.
I will continue waiting for my real family as long as I can, and I will not lose hope. Staying forever strong, active, and playful is the only way I can show the others that they too do not need to lose hope. There is a family out there destined for me, as well as for every other cat living in the adoption center. They just have not found us yet. When I finally do get adopted, I will cherish my new family and not take them for granted. Because I understand that family is sacred and after losing mine time and time again. For once, I would like to have a family that I know will stay with me, and love me forever.
In the beginning,
there were many words I could use to explain what I felt as I began my work on
project one: nervousness, excitement, and apprehensiveness to name a few. I did not know what to expect going into
this project. I was pretty nervous knowing that it would affect my grade
vastly, and this nervousness led to apprehensiveness I felt for the project.
Similar to my spirit animal, the turtle, I felt the need to curl up in my shell
and avoid dealing with it. I did not
know how the volunteers would react to me when I arrived at the TarryTown adoption center. That was a very unnerving
feeling! What if they do not like me and think I am a nuisance? Thoughts like
these pestered me endlessly until the day I actually visited the adoption
center. Yet, on the day I planned on making my trip, a new sense of excitement
filled me. I was extremely happy to be getting out there and doing some
volunteer work for once. I have always liked helping out those in need. Just the thought of helping those cats out
even a little bit 
filled
me with such excitement and joy.
At first, I was a little afraid that the cats I chose would not like me. I have never really dealt with cats before this assignment. I have always been more of a dog person. Thankfully, everything turned out okay and the cats were nice and friendly enough. As soon as I entered the establishment, my heart melted. There were various cats out of their enclosures at the time. The volunteer there had been cleaning their enclosures so they had been running and all cats seemed extremely intrigued about my presence there. Finally, the moment I had been dreading this whole time had come. The initial meeting with the APA volunteer had arrived. To tell you the truth, I am not exceptionally first-class at first impressions. Upon arrival, I explained to the volunteers what my goal was there and she seemed eager to help. I was glad things worked out so well because that was the part I was least looking forward to. Therefore, everything afterwards seemed so much easier and fun to me.
Next, I was able to meet my cats. The first one I met was Burgundy, a five month old tortoiseshell whom was active and an overall big ball of fun. She would dart around the room and play with her toys. Then sometimes she would randomly come up to you and rub against your leg. Burgundy was a sweetheart and immediately took to strangers. In fact, all of the cats in that enclosure were nice and friendly to me. There was a black cat named Xana there who would try to get in my lap pretty much every time I tried to sit down, it was pretty funny. You could tell that Burgundy and Xana were very good friends. When they weren’t paying attention to me they would be too busy playing with each other.
Then, I met Julie, the three year old
dilute tortoiseshell with no history and pretty much the opposite of
Burgundy. I think it is funny that
before this assignment I did not even know what a tortoiseshell cat was. Yet, after researching for a while I found
the perfect description of tortoiseshell cats.
The text read, “It is a neat and cleanly creature, often licking it self, to keep it fair and clean, and washing its Face
with its fore-feet; the best are such as rare of a fair and large kind, and of
an exquisite Tabby color.”[1]
This description, I believe, describes both Burgundy and Julie well. Julie was shy and timid, but you could tell
she too was a sweetheart and after a while she even started warming up to me. The volunteer told me about how she likes to
play hide and seek when she is outside of her enclosure and curl up into a
little ball in a drawer they have at the adoption center. It was these kinds of actions that I liked
most about Julie, she was such a mystery.
She had only been transferred to the TarryTown
adoption center recently, so there was not much known about her. But in the short time that I met her I
already felt connected and close to her. As if I had known her my whole life.
That is the kind of cat Julie is; A shy, calm, and sweet mystery.
In conclusion, I would say that this project is one of those experiences that you will always remember and tell people a lot of in the future. I learned compassion for these animals, “The feeling or emotion, when a person is moved by the suffering or distress of another.”[2] In addition to this being an assignment, I’m glad I was able to help out the Austin Pets Alive! Community. In the end it was not about the grade for me, but about the animals. After all, that is why I took this class, for the animals. I hope that every one of those cats at the TarryTown adoption center get adopted soon. Especially Burgundy and Julie, I believe they will make their owners feel just as if not more special and loved than they made me feel the day that I met them.
Word Count with Quotes: 1,633
Word Count without Quotes: 1,515
U.R.L to blog
version: http://thegreatestlie1.livejournal.com/
List of Illustrations:
1. This is me, Burgundy! By: Turtle Blaine
2. Burgundy is hanging out, going about her normal business. By: Turtle Blaine
3. Burgundy is playing with one of her toys. By: Turtle Blaine
4. Julie, being shy and calm like she usually is. By: Turtle Blaine
Appendix
Burgundy’s Bio:
Adorable – Silly – Clever
Burgundy is a beautiful black and butterscotch tortoiseshell kitten of five months who’s just looking for a new place that she can finally call “Home”. Being a bottle baby, she has grown up around various Austin Pets Alive volunteers and the other kittens in her litter; so she is thus very used to human and feline interaction, but has never been around dogs or children. Yet that does not mean she won’t get along with them! Burgundy is a clever and curious cat that loves to interact with many different things and people, so they may not be that big of a deal to her. In fact, being the charismatic kitten she is, the dog would probably be the one running away from her.
Burgundy needs a home where she can run around and play; she is a very playful and active little kitty! Sometimes you’ll look over at her just so see her darting around her room and exploring her surroundings. Yet that doesn’t mean she can’t be an absolute cuddle monster as well! Pet her, and her motor starts a purring, then you can’t possibly keep her away! She loves being the center of attention and will tell you when she thinks you aren’t paying enough attention to her! She is very vocal about that! Burgundy is one of the best-behaved and healthy kittens out there! She has very good litter manners and scratching habits. She would make for a great pet and anyone who adopted her would be lucky to have this very sweet and adorable little kitten.
All APA! foster kittens/cats are litter box trained, tested for FeLV/FIV, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for worms/fleas, microchipped and come with a 30-day health insurance plan.
If you have additional questions about Ava, please send an email to adopt@austinpetsalive.org.
Appendix Continued
Julie’s Bio:
Gentle – Shy – Elegant
Julie is one of the most gorgeous and elegant cats out there! She is a three year old grey and orange dilute tortoiseshell cat with a shy and gentle personality. With those big, bright, and yellow eyes; who couldn’t love her!?
There isn’t much known about Julie’s history because she was a transfer. So, there is no way of knowing if she is good with dogs or children. But from what we can tell, she is very nice and friendly towards the Austin Pets Alive volunteers and adapts very well to strangers. Once she gets over that initial shyness she has of other animals and humans you will find that Julie loves to cuddle and play with other people and cats! She is very much a lap cat and only mildly active. In fact, she has especially grown fond of Gracie, the other cat in her enclosure and is Julie’s favorite thing to play with.
Julie is also an explorer, like most cats, and loves finding new places to explore and sniff out. She especially likes dark places where she sometimes likes to hide and relax, then make people find her. All in all, Julie is a very elegant and gentle girl; with just one listen of her distinctive, soft, and sweet meow you’ll automatically fall in love with her. Julie has very good litter manners and scratching habits. This beautiful girl needs a place where she can finally call home and get the attention she deserves. She would make any owner feel loved and lucky to have her.
All APA! foster kittens/cats are litter box trained, tested for FeLV/FIV, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for worms/fleas, microchipped and come with a 30-day health insurance plan.
If you have additional questions about Ava, please send an email to adopt@austinpetsalive.org.
Appendix Continued
Julie’s Screenshot:
Burgundy’s
Screenshot:
They still have yet to put up the bios and pictures.