Shy little Gallium is a force of nature. As such, it might be unsurprising that she was also the source of a very big scary event. Not only was the event scary, it was costly and took a lot recovery time. All the details are in an earlier blog post that you can click here to read. This current post is about where Gallium is now. As this is Tabby’s Place – spoiler alert – there is a very happy ending, which is actually more of a middle.
Our little grey friend’s successful recovery came with quite a price tag, as elemental calamities often do. The high cost affords Gallium a significant, if dubious, honor…of a sort. Dubious or otherwise, all honors at Tabby’s Place are celebrated and rewarded. In the case of this elemental kitty, the reward was a promotion to the Executive Office. For those unaware, a beautiful black cat named Marcia reigns therein – with a very soft paw and strong purr – as Executive Executive Director (Yes, she outranks Jonathan because all cats outrank all humans. It’s a thing. Really.).
Triscuit, a timid grey and white tuxedo, is perfectly content to be ruled by Marcia. He also seems perfectly content to have a new roommate, since Baby Yoda (FIP SURVIVOR!!!) was ADOPTED. He is also content to be lured out gently if there are treats being offered. Marcia and Triscuit are both very fortunate in the treat department. Having Gallium as the third in their triumvirate means extra treats for everyone because treats are key to encouraging Gallium to come out from under the protective pile of blankets or from the hidden corner formed by the two parts of Jonathan’s desk (the underneath part!!) and into the open.
Coaxing out this sweet cat, who is as soft and silvery as her namesake metal, is well worth the effort. The time spent results in her swirling around crossed legs and peering into the lobby hallway and slowly acclimating to her new environs. Meanwhile, Triscuit is emboldened by Gallium’s presence and activity (N.B. “Emboldened” is a strong word when applied to Triscuit, but it’s close enough). Marcia, needing no emboldenment, is nonetheless happy to be the beneficiary of sharing space with a treat-motivated cohabitant. The only one with any complaints is Jonathan, but that’s only because he is not yet able to fully enjoy petting his shiest co-executives as much as he would like. As with all shy cats, elemental or otherwise, time and attention will eventually lead to much more acceptance of much more petting from many more people, including the highest ranking human at the sanctuary.
For Gallium, all of the time it takes – no matter how much time it takes – to gain her trust and ensure her comfort is every bit as valuable as her life-saving medications. For humans, watching her shaved patches grow back in, her form fill out, and her confidence grow is a priceless treasure. As ever, we are grateful for every donation, to Dr. Fantastic, to the amazing staff, and to the fantastic volunteers whose combined efforts have given us all the time we want and need to assure Gallium that she is, at last, truly in her element.