Lola’s Story From Lonely Orphan to Indoor Queen
by Joyce Sammons
(Hodges, SC, USA)
Lola came into our lives in July, 2009. My daughter Laura had spent the previous month "hinting" she wanted a cat. I thought our home was complete with the three dogs and knew the responsibility that came with a new kitten. I have a lot of antique figurines that would have to find a new home or risk being broken.
My bulldog mix Dreyfuss had experience living with a cat and I knew he wouldn't be a problem. He was TERRIFIED of cats. Especially the growling, hissing and spitting.
We live in a rural area in South Carolina and the closest town is Ware Shoals. I was raised an hour away in the city but prefer the country life. Ware Shoals was put on the map with the filming of Leatherbacks with George Clooney. It's a small town where everyone knows everyone else. I'd noticed a "free kittens" sign midway between my home and the town so we headed out to get her a kitten.
The freebie sign was gone so I stopped at the local hangout convenience store. In this part of the country a convenience store is the town hub for information. The cashier knows most of the neighborhood by name plus lots of other town info. Unfortunately, still no luck. I was afraid Laura wouldn't be coming home with a kitten that day.
I decided to stop by Dollar General to pick up cleaning supplies and a few snacks. I told Laura we were going to do this kitten thing backwards. I gathered kitten food and litter along with my other items. The cashier was nice and asked what kind of cat I had. I explained we were looking for a kitten but hadn't found anyone giving them away. The cashier told me her grandparents had a litter and they were looking for homes. Laura was allowed to phone her grandfather on her cell phone and as she was calling the man pulled up in the parking lot right in front of us. We followed him back to his home about ten miles on down the road.
The mother cat was black and white and had three kittens. Their owner explained that the calico that Laura was holding had just shown up one day and the mother cat accepted her as one of her own. The kittens were three months old and ready for a forever home. The owner asked if we wanted two kittens and I told her no. With one cat I knew the cat would be attached to Laura. If I'd adopted a second one they would have played with each other instead of Laura.
Laura held her new baby the entire 15 mile trip home. She was a good kitten and never once tried to escape. Laura named her Lola and carried her from the car to the house so Lola could meet the dogs. Here is a video of Lola and Laura's dog Darla the first time they met.
Darla wasn't happy the first few days but soon accepted and even played with Lola. They chased each other and wrestled and played hide-and-pounce. My other two dogs tolerated the new addition with no problem. Dreyfuss even improved with his cat phobia.
Laura has taken excellent care of Lola. She feeds her on the kitchen bar and carries her to bed each night. I filmed Laura giving Lola her first bath. I watch America's Funniest Videos and hoped the kitten would do something funny enough to win. Lola behaved like the lady she is and I got a very sweet video.
It took awhile for Lola to befriend Dreyfuss. My dog Cody is tolerant of but indifferent to cats. Dreyfuss is loved by everyone and everything. Now Lola is paying back the kindness given to her as an orphaned kitten. Furby joined us in early November and she treats him as a son. Furby will fall asleep under his blue blanket and Lola will meow until he pokes his little head out.
Those two are going to be a lot of fun to watch as they grow. Two orphans born to different mother's who found each other. Now our home is complete.
Joyce
Hi Joyce.... I moved your submission to the random bred domestic cats page.
Lola's Story From Lonely Orphan to Indoor Queen to Feral cats
