After losing both my cat and dog, I was ready for a new pet. One January weekend I went to the local shelter to see the cats. A little cream cat had just come in and was terrified. I sat at the cage and talked to her for a while, and she tolerated me, though she was too scared to be friendly. I knew that we could help each other.
Rory spent her first few days at my house hiding behind the dryer. She would come out at night for food and to use the litter box, but I didn't see her for days. I'd use my phone camera and flash to take pictures of her behind the dryer to make sure she was OK. It was another week before she would approach me, but only when I was in bed at night. Eventually it became clear that Rory has very poor vision. Besides being cross eyed, she can't seem to see anything that is more than five feet away.
I think she had a neglectful family before the shelter. She was in good shape physically, but didn't know that people could pet her, or what toys were. She's made progress in the last four months, but it's like having two different cats. During the day she's fearful and hides from everything, including me. But as soon as I lay down at night, she curls up in the crook of my arm and purrs. She likes to be near my face, and will even sleep nose-to-nose with me. If I roll over, she jumps to my other side so I'm always facing her. In the morning, her toys are strewn all over the house. I hope that one day that sweet nighttime cat will also be the daytime cat. Time will tell.
Denton, TX
