Introducing Tabitha

 

Tabitha is 6 and as you can see, is a beautiful Classic Tabby. What

most people don't know about Tabitha is she's a true Warrior. When

she was a tiny kitten, someone put her and her littermates in a sewer,

where they lived for a few weeks until they were rescued. When she got

to the Shelter, she was named Rebel. In March of 2006, I was looking

for a female kitten, I called all the shelters but because if was Winter

(not kitten season), nobody had any kittens. I called one last Shelter

and the lady I spoke to, told me that yes she did have a female kitten.

But that she wasn't adoptable yet because the Shelter hadn't been

able to Socialize her, making her "unadoptable". Finally, I was able to

convince the lady that I would give "Rebel" a good home and would

socialize Rebel...I was told it would take a long time.

 

The next day, when I got "Rebel" home, she ran under my bed. And,

the first thing I did, was think of a new name for her...Rebel was

no name for a little girl. Because she's a Tabby, I decided on the

name Tabitha. For 6 week Tabitha stayed under my bed, she would

only come out when I wasn't home or asleep. Several times a day

I had what I called "Tabitha Time", that was when I'd lay on the

floor so I could look under the bed. I would talk quietly to her, put

my arm under the bed so she could smell me and would put the

Feather on a Stick toy under the bed and move it around. I didn't

want to stress her so I'd stay for an hour or so with her. She was

so scared. One night, I had gone out to dinner with friends, when

I came home, the first thing I did was look under my bed for Tabitha,

but she wasn't there. I looked all over my house for her but no Tabitha.

I decided to look in my closet again but still no Tabitha. While I was

thinking where she could be, I looked into my closet and there was

Tabitha. She was hanging onto a sweater that was hanging in my

closet. She was so scared she didn't move, we just stared at each

other. I left the room so she could go to her "safe place", under my bed.

As time went on, Tabitha started trusting me more and would come

closer so I could pet her, until the day she came out from under the

bed!! She still wouldn't get on the bed with me or let me pick her

up but that was ok with me, we were making progress and I wanted

to go at her pace.

 

Tabitha closely watched everything the other kitties did. She became

good friends with Jazzy and followed her everywhere. One day, Jazzy

got very sick, the vet told us that Jazzy may need a blood transfusion.

They explained to me that since animals don't have blood types like

humans have, they bring in a shelter animal and get blood from them,

in return the "doaner" is spayed or neutured. Since Tabitha was so

close to Jazzy, I asked if Tabitha could give Jazzy some blood...I

knew Tabitha would want to do that. The next day, the vet called and

told me that Jazzy had lost more blood and would need a transfusion

right away. I got Tabitha right away (which is normally hard because she

didn't like getting picked up), put her in her carrier and off to the Vet

we went. Tabitha was given a sedative and put in a cage next to

Jazzy, mainly because they were so close but also so I could

spend time at the same time with both girls. Tabitha was hooked

up to the machine and donated her blood...however much a cat

can safely give. She was very good but thats because she was

sedated. After Tabitha gave her sister her blood, Jazzy was rushed

into surgery. While Jazzy was being operated on and I was sitting

waiting for news on Jazzy, Tabitha slept off the sedation. I spent

I several hours worrying about both of my girls. I don't know how

many cups of coffee I drank, cigarettes I smoked, phone calls

that I made or anything else...it was pretty much a blur. I do

know that Jazzy made it through a surgery that the Vet didn't

think she'd make it through because of the blood. I also know

that Tabitha was a hero because she helped save her sisters'

life. Unfortunately, Jazzy went to the Rainbow Bridge the next

day.

 

Now at 6 years old, Tabitha still doesn't like to be picked up, is

scared of anyone but me (but she's slowly getting better if not

pushed) and will lay next to me on the bed. As I said before, we'll

continue working in these things but when Tabitha is ready to do

more work on this, she'll let me know. Until then, I'm just happy

and proud that she's gotten this far and the Shelter is amazed.

 

Tabitha loves her brothers and sister. Her nicknames are Monkey,

Monks and Monkey Girl because of her climbing abilities. She

loves to play, her favorite toys are Feather on a Stick and Ms.

Squeaky...her squeaky mouse. She also loves her food...hence

the nickname Big Girl, although she looks bigger than she

really is. Tabitha also likes to sleep under a chair in the

living room when I'm on the computer or on my bed....

alot of times she sleeps with her eyes open.

 

If you'd like to see some picture of Tabitha, please click on

the Next button.

 

 

 

 

(The Residents of Kitties In The City & their mom,

thank their friend Connie very much for making this set)