When Susan sent me her story about Bounty, I couldn’t stop smiling. You see, as a cat sitter, I hear a lot of rescue stories, but some just touch your heart in a special way. Here’s how Susan found her soulmate in a shy black cat that nobody else wanted.
Meet Bounty
Secret skill: Making the perfect biscuits during cuddle time
Age: 3 years
Gender: Male
Breed: Black Domestic Shorthair
Personality: Shy but loving
Special talent: Knowing when someone needs comfort
Favorite spot: Windowsill in the kitchen
Favorite toy: Crinkly paper balls
A Rainy Day Miracle
“It was one of those gray October days,” Susan wrote me, “when everything just feels hopeless. I had just lost my job, and my apartment felt emptier than ever.” She hadn’t planned to adopt that day – she just needed to be somewhere that wasn’t her empty apartment. That’s when she saw him: a black cat in cage 27 that everyone walked past.
“He was this little void of darkness with the most striking golden eyes I’d ever seen,” she told me. The shelter volunteer explained he’d been there for months. Black cats are often the last to get adopted, and shy ones… well, they wait even longer.
Finding Bounty
Susan named him Bounty – because finding him felt like discovering a real treasure. Though if you ask me, this treasure took his time revealing his true sparkle! “He spent three whole days under my bed,” Susan shared with a laugh. “I only knew he was alive because his food bowl would be empty in the morning!”
The Night That Changed Everything
Here’s the part of Susan’s story that made me tear up (and believe me, after years of working with cats, that’s not easy!). She was having one of those really rough nights, crying on her couch about her job situation, when Bounty emerged from hiding. “He just jumped right into my lap,” she wrote, “and pressed his head against my chest, purring louder than I thought possible. It was like he was saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got you.'”
Life With Bounty Today
These days, Susan’s apartment is far from empty. Bounty has claimed the kitchen windowsill as his observation deck (very important cat business, watching those birds!). He greets her at the door with little chirps, and they have this adorable morning routine where she makes coffee while he “supervises” from his window perch.
“He’s still shy with visitors,” Susan tells me, “but with me? He’s the most loving cat I could have ever hoped for. Sometimes I wonder who rescued whom.”
You know what I love most about Susan and Bounty’s story? It reminds me of something I see time and time again in my work with cats: sometimes the ones who take the longest to open up have the most love to give. Those shy cats, the ones that hide in the back of their cages? They often turn out to be the most devoted companions.
Share Your Story!
Has a special cat changed your life like Bounty changed Susan’s? I’d love to feature your story! Send me your heartwarming adoption tales and photos at [email protected]. Whether you chose the shy one, the senior, or the cat that everyone else overlooked – every rescue story deserves to be told.
With purrs and gratitude,
Lucy
P.S. Susan wanted me to add this: “If you’re thinking about adopting, please don’t overlook the shy ones or the black cats. Sometimes the most overlooked cats have the most love to give.” I couldn’t agree more!
