PROJECT LOVE

I've recently started volunteering one afternoon a week at the local Petsmart where our rescue houses some of our younger rescues..........

So far it's been so rewarding and I'm thoroughly enjoying spending afew hours with some really sweet kittens! It's there that I've met Fantasia. Approximately 1 year of age, she has already had two litters (if you can believe it), and came to the attention of our rescue, when a colony caretaker actually witnessed her being thrown by someone from a car. As if that wasn't horrific enough, she was pregnant at the time.

Well, her kittens have all been adopted into their forever homes and I understand that Fantasia was an amazing Mommy the entire time they were with her. She's been moved to the pet store due to lack of foster space, and although she is physically a gorgeous torti girl, the emotional side of things has been alot more stressful for her. I shudder to think of the horrors she has suffered before coming to us, but her cringing when you try to pet her, her incessant need to hide under the cages instead of sitting out in the open, and her constant shrinking away whenever a hand or movement is close by, pretty much tell the story.

I want so desperately to pet her and reassure her that everything will be alright now - that noone is going to hurt her; but it's very slow going at the moment and so I'm trying baby steps in talking softly, and reaching out everso gently (when she'll let me), to stroke her head. The babies at this centre have free reign in the room once the store opens until it closes again in the evenings - there is an army of volunteers who ensure that they do not have to be caged throughout the day and early evening; and yet when it is time to put everyone to bed for the night, I usually end up having to handle Fantasia like her own Mommy would have just to keep her from scratching or biting me.

Anyway, there are so many things about her that remind me of Flossy. She's had some horrible things happen to her, now I'm hoping that we can heal those demons and help her to trust again. I for one, believe in miracles and I can't wait to see this one take shape.