Pippa

Please give a huge paws up for Star Kit, Pippa. She is a 2 year old American Shorthair from Paducah, KY

Pippa made her appearance at the domestic violence crisis center where I work last winter. The clients living there loved her and fed her against the desires of our Executive Director. Orders were given to stop feeding “the cat.” We soon realized that the cat had kittens in the basement of our administrative building. Our director relented to allow her to remain until the kittens were weaned, captured and given to good homes. She soon stopped making trips to the basement and begged to come in the front door.

The following weeks resulted in numerous comical escapades of staff members venturing into the basement of the restored old house to try to locate and hopefully catch a kitten. Detached heating & air ducts became escape tunnels and crawl spaces were mazes to thwart our efforts. Glimpses of a gray face peering out of an air vent or a black flash at the bottom of the steps were all these little feral kits were allowing. Daily allotted food and water continued to disappear.

After what was estimated to be about 8 weeks since momma cat’s arrival there was commotion in the kitchen. Six staff members rushed to the tiny sound of meowing. Scurrying from under the huge industrial stove to the warming island the gray kitten evaded everyone. The meowing was echoed and the black kitten was located but out of reach. Dashing into the dining area and under the trash bin one was caught. Once inside the ample crate his meowing brought out the sibling long enough for another nab. Both finally were secure in the crate. These two were finished with basement dwelling and were headed for farm life.

Momma was not interested in the least.

Her destiny was changing, too. The option of being sent to the local animal shelter did not rest well with most of the staff and none of the clients who had befriended her for the past couple of months. Having just lost my oldest cat of 15 years it only seemed right that she become the next mouser for our home. After all, she had been living outdoors for as long as anyone knew. She didn’t resist at all when being loaded into the carrier and was silent the entire drive home.

This sweet and loving cat moved in as if she had been planning the relocation all along. There were no surprises it seemed for her, only for us. Once she was allowed into the house during the coldest nights, she refused to go back outside. This “outdoor” girl made it loud and clear that she was the new diva in town and would be staying inside from now on. It was as if she was saying ” I might have been homeless… but I’m not now!” We agreed.