Others take some time: making vegan Coq au Vin. (It can be done.) Training for the decathlon. Making your home in someone’s heart. Becoming tame.
That last flavor of awesome is ours for the feasting today. Most of our adopted-cat updates here on Felis Catus are of the recent variety…but some love blooms slowly.
Patch, Casa Forever. As you can see, "stress" is not part of his vocabulary. Thanks to UberPat for these stellar photos.
It’s been nearly three years now since a certain AwesomeAdopter – let’s call her UberPat – scooped up Patch. He’s appeared on the blogbefore…though never quite like today. Let me step aside and hand things over to one of the awesomest (and most patient) adopters ever to walk our earth, UberPat herself:
“I hope you are doing wonderfully on this hot summer’s day!
“I have been restraining myself from sending you an email dating back to earlier this month…but now that I know it is for real, I wanted to share the news: Patch loves me.
“So, how many years did it take ? Well, let’s just say ‘a few.’ On July 3, the guy jumped up next to me on the couch, lay down so he was flat up against me, and after some purring, stuck his head in the crook of arm and proceeded to just hang out. Stunned at first, I thought maybe something was wrong with him. But when he was ready to get up, he started bouncing all over the place, eating, stalking and chasing his brother and sisters, and generally having a pretty rocking time.
“I was floored. It was the first time he’d ever done that. Ever.
“Then, as if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, he did it again the next night – head on arm and all. And then again the following week. Suddenly the love switch has been flipped.
“It’s going to sound weird, but he looks at me differently now: the best way to describe it is that is like trust/love. His face is softer – when I sweet-talk him, he rolls over, purrs, does that mushing thing with his paws (vs. looking right through me – and suspiciously at that – which is what I thought he was doing previously). I blink my eyes at him and he is in heaven.
“Patch is always around now, following me. When I’m at my desk working, I’ll turn around and there he is: fully relaxed and lounged out right behind me with a big smile. Every morning, he jumps up on the bed to make sure I get up (to feed him, of course), mushing me FULL ON: “kissing” my nose and demanding to be fully loved on, too (just like the other 3 babies).
“And now, Ginger has real competition: Patch brings me toy mice! Patch will pick one up with the cutest (and loudest) sounds and trot over with it: ‘look, Mom, this one’s for you.’
“Wow. Now I’m not saying he’s not going to bolt if you move towards him too fast, or that I can pick him up and put him into a carrier without sending him (and me) into a panic attack – but I can say with a lot more certainty that when it has to happen, there will be no more bloodshed (on my side).
“Angela, I can’t tell you what an amazing blessing being Patch’s mom has been. The love and happiness he has brought into this house is incredible (and part of that love and happiness would, of course, include Ginger). He has blossomed into his ultimate cat-ness. He is as I always knew he would be from the first moment I looked into his eyes and fell in love. Without a split-second of hesitation, I can honestly say it was more than worth the wait. God bless Tabby’s Place for all that you do day in and day out – for making the world a better place (one kitty at a time).
When I first received UberPat’s e-mail, naturally I melted into a puddle of goo. Once my heart re-solidified, I wrote asking if we might have her permission to share Patch’s tale on the blog. UberPat’s response is a treat in itself:
“That is so sweet! Oh my gosh, really? Well, I would do anything for Tabby’s so my answer is, yes of course.
Patch & Ginger
“Now for the really funny part: the next morning after I sent my email, Patch really blew me away. I could hear him making the ‘toy mouse’ noises downstairs, and sure enough, he trotted up with ‘house mouse’ in his mouth. He came right over and dropped it. After praising him to high heaven, he went right back down and guess what? He came back up with ‘gray mouse.’ I cannot tell you what a riot it was. He’s finally making all the right connections (kissing is good, gazing into each other’s eyes is not an act of war, belly mushes feel AWESOME, etc). On the floor, as I was fussing over him, he actually licked my hand. He NEVER did that before. I can barely express what an amazing moment that was.
“I love love love him so much! It’s been a July I will never forget. And I have to agree with you (and Tony Bennett) on this one: the best is yet to come!!
“Thank you for being there to share these magnificent triumphs with us – it means so much!”
The best is truly yet to come – and let this be a heart-reminder to us all that it’s never, ever, ever too late to bloom. Wild and tame all at once, Patch is yours now, UberPat. And methinks The Little Prince may have said it most wisely:
Who’s to say that it’s not our own hearts that have been tamed and made different?
oh, YAY! Yes, UberPat — it is SO SO SO worth the wait, isn’t it? This little guy adores you because you let him be HIM and he could be Patch in his way and his time. Thank you for this and for loving this boy and sharing this amazingly marvelous, heart-filling part of your life!
What a wonderful story. We’re so glad UberPat had the patience to let him live at his own pace – and this is her reward. Not a better one in the whole ‘verse!
Some feats of awesomeness happen quickly. Think of dropping Mentos into a can of Diet Coke.
“It’s going to sound weird, but he looks at me differently now: the best way to describe it is that is like trust/love. His face is softer – when I sweet-talk him, he rolls over, purrs, does that mushing thing with his paws (vs. looking right through me – and suspiciously at that – which is what I thought he was doing previously). I blink my eyes at him and he is in heaven.
“Angela, I can’t tell you what an amazing blessing being Patch’s mom has been. The love and happiness he has brought into this house is incredible (and part of that love and happiness would, of course, include Ginger). He has blossomed into his ultimate cat-ness. He is as I always knew he would be from the first moment I looked into his eyes and fell in love. Without a split-second of hesitation, I can honestly say it was more than worth the wait. God bless Tabby’s Place for all that you do day in and day out – for making the world a better place (one kitty at a time).
Ahhhhhh, such a heavenly story for an otherwise slooooow Friday afternoon! God Bless Patch and his Uber Mamma!!
oh, YAY! Yes, UberPat — it is SO SO SO worth the wait, isn’t it? This little guy adores you because you let him be HIM and he could be Patch in his way and his time. Thank you for this and for loving this boy and sharing this amazingly marvelous, heart-filling part of your life!
Go, Patch! What a lovely post! Cats are always worth the wait. 🙂
What a wonderful story. We’re so glad UberPat had the patience to let him live at his own pace – and this is her reward. Not a better one in the whole ‘verse!