On a drive from central New Jersey to Pennsylvania, Amanda noticed the sign for Tabby’s Place.
“As a lifelong animal lover and rescuer, it immediately caught my attention. I looked it up online when I got home,” said Amanda.
A loving pet parent of multiple animals, Amanda wasn’t quite ready to add to her brood, but Tabby’s Place remained in the back of her mind. When a co-worker started to talk about adopting a cat, Amanda told her about Tabby’s Place.
Together they began a search for adoptable cats on the Tabby’s Place website. “I saw a photo of Pickles, and she reminded me so much of my cat Binx, a feral that I rescued from a sewer in grad school,” she said. “I was drawn to her and felt strongly that this was my cat.”
Amanda began the adoption process. She learned that Pickles, once a shy and frightened outdoor cat, might take some time to come around.
“Given my experience with feral cats, I wanted to give her a chance,” she added. “The day I visited, besides being incredibly cute, she was responsive to playing and taking treats. I just knew we were meant for each other.”
As expected, Pickles hid on her first night at home. But by the very next day, her playfulness was in full display. She has never looked back.
Today, Pickles is the queen and rules the house. This includes overseeing her cat brothers, Arthur and Aspen, two chill, calm boys who are happy to follow her lead. They play hide and seek together and pile into ‘cuddle puddles’ of mutual love. She also takes over the bed from her dog brother, Cooper, to his dismay.
“Her favorite catnip toy is a pickle that says: I’m kind of a Big Dill,” laughs Amanda. “And she loves chasing her mouse toys and laser pointer. She pulls her favorite toys out of a basket in the middle of the night and plays with them. By morning, it looks like a yard sale in the house.”
She loves treats and squeaking at birds and squirrels from the window of her three-season porch. Her morning ritual includes meowing at Amanda until she follows her, then flopping on the floor for belly rubs.
In addition to Pickles, this affectionate, playful girl goes by Miss Pickles, Picks, Spicy Pickle, My Baby Girl and Bunny. “She has won our hearts,” said Amanda. “She was meant to be here, she knows it, and it shows. We love her very much.”
