Written by African Tails – Adoption Manager: Sandy Clifton
Professional photography by The LetterBox Productions
Baby (aka Charlie) was an elderly resident from Brooklyn. He and his little cat lived together in their Wendy house in someone’s backyard.
Baby cared for his cat, Sasha, as best he could, and African Tails always made sure she had plenty of soft food – the jelly kind, not gravy, as she only had one little tooth – and any medical bills were covered whenever she needed to go to the vet. She was often also infested with fleas, and we helped with parasite control.
Baby adored Sasha, but she didn’t get to live a soft life – sometimes, life was tough for her. And then suddenly one day, Baby passed away, leaving his sweet little girl behind.
I immediately arranged for Sasha to be brought to our office where she stayed for a day or two until a foster home was found. Along came Debby Querido, who’d adopted her beautiful dog Cody from us a few years before. Debby always stayed in touch and, when she heard about Sasha, she immediately offered to foster her.
Sasha settled in and made Debby and her father’s home her own the minute she walked in. We’d never seen anything like it. Sasha immediately knew she was home. It’s been a few months now and Sasha is living the most beautiful life. She’s so loved by Debby and David, as well as her two canine siblings, Pax and Cody. Her five kitty siblings are slowly getting to know her.
She’s so happy, loved and content. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for sweet Sasha. And we just know that Baby is smiling down from heaven and at peace, knowing his little companion of so many years is so happy and well looked after.
Debby, Sasha’s new owner, shares...
Years ago, I had two cats and wanted to foster a small, elderly dog as I’d seen many senior doggies given up for various reasons. I lived in a small house and figured a small, elderly dog would fit, given the limited space.
African Tails posted about two little old dogs who needed a foster, and I got in touch. That’s how I met the wonderful Sandy. She explained that those two weren’t cat-friendly, but that she had another dog desperate for a foster… and arrived with Cody! This big, bewildered, broken dog arrived, and when my beloved cat Olivia walked up to her and pressed her nose against Cody’s, I knew Cody was home.
I stayed in touch with Sandy, and after I moved in with my dad, fostered a few more animals for African Tails (we have more space here).
Then we spoke a few months ago, and she mentioned she’d just taken in a cat whose owner had died. Just a few days before, we’d lost one of our elderly kitties, Cleo, to illness. She’d been my dad’s shadow and loved to lie draped across his lap in his wheelchair. I felt that Cleo had sent Sasha to us, and I immediately said I’d take her in, clean her up, get her back on her feet, and help her find a home.
Well, within a day or two, it was clear that Sasha wasn’t going anywhere! My dad fell in love almost immediately – he’s a crazy cat man! – and Sasha was delighted to have a room of her own (while she got used to her new surroundings), a constant supply of food, and a comfy bed. She stood her ground against my two large, cat-friendly hounds, who were incredibly curious, and made it clear to the other five cats in the house that she wasn’t going anywhere!
Within a few weeks, she was ready to roam freely, but all she wanted was to sleep on my dad’s bed with him. And so, that’s what she does. Day and night she lies on that bed, basking in the sunlight during the day and sleeping soundly in the evenings. She gets wet food twice a day, in “her” bedroom (she doesn’t like to venture elsewhere in the house), and a constant supply of tiny biscuits which she LOVES. She’s transformed from a bit of a scrawny (and VERY dirty) girl into a beautiful, calm, chubby kitty, and we absolutely adore her. She’s my dad’s cat for SURE – she’s imprinted on him and claimed him as her own. And he cherishes her equally.
It’s also so important for me to acknowledge Baby. I know he did everything within his power and limited means to care for her, keep her safe, and give her everything she needed. I imagine he’d have sacrificed his own needs for hers. I’m certain she adored him and I know he adored her. We’ll always honour his memory and his love for Sasha by keeping her safe, fed, warm and loved. Sasha is home and this is where she’ll stay for the rest of her life. We make sure she knows this and never has to worry about her future.
A massive thank you also to Sandy and African Tails for entrusting this precious little potato to us. We love her so very much, and I’m so grateful to the African Tails team, and Sandy especially, for connecting us.
