It Was Worth It – Alice, Handsome, & Possum (now HBO)

I have been sharing some “Where Are They Now” type posts about some of the Wishers who are out there living The Good Life!   My goal is to have information available at the click of a picture for people who might be considering the adoption of a Winnie’s Wish cat.  These stories will hopefully be testament to the fact that even though a Wisher might be halfway across the country from the adopter, those adopters say it was absolutely worth it to go the extra mile.  And for those Wishers who required a little more patience, their families tell me it was worth it beyond a doubt.  My sister and brother-in-law gave the ultimate gift of adopting from Winnie’s Wish.  Here is my sister’s story about the THREE they adopted - collectively known as HBO.

 

I can say with certainty that it was more than worth it to adopt our 3 kitties from Winnie's Wish. (How could I not, since Winnie's Wish is run by my sister!)  Anyway, I know personally how much time and effort she puts into taking care of each kitty she has.  Of course, considering that I was adopting from my sister's shelter meant that I didn't have a difficult time getting our 3 kitties to their new home, much like many adopters have who adopted from Winnie's Wish.  We picked them up one time when we were visiting my family and they have been wonderful members of our family every moment since.

When we got to our home Hazel walked in as if it had always been hers.  She explored each room, making sure they all met her very high standards and then settled down on a chair in the living room.   I know my sister had said that she kept to herself in her shelter, but she has definitely never been like that with us.  She has been the boss (of both us and the other cats) since the first day we got her.  She has plenty of cattitude, which is a constant source of amusement in our home.  In particular, she likes to poof up her tail (which is an extraordinary tail) regularly and strut around our home just so we take note of how beautiful she is.  She is an absolute lover too and meets my husband (who is her favorite person) at the door every day when he gets home from work with some of the loudest and most excited meows I have ever heard.  In spite of her sassy attitude, she loves to snuggle and purrs so loudly you can hear her several rooms away.

 

We took Boris and Olaf without really meeting them.  Olaf hid from us each time we visited my sister's shelter and Boris was such an anxious kitty that he never stopped racing around the shelter. I knew from having been a volunteer at a shelter where I live that cats are often very different in their home than they are in a shelter, so I wasn't worried that Olaf and Boris didn't "show well".  I knew they'd be awesome with a little time to adjust.   

When we brought Olaf home we assumed he would hide for weeks (or longer) until he adjusted.  And while he did hide off and on those first few weeks, he also spent a lot of time not hiding and quickly interacting with us.  It wasn't long at all before he was the sweet little angel he is now.  He kneads and purrs and drools all over our laps.  He also adores the other cats.  I have never met a cat that loves other cats as much as Olaf. Olaf even tries to pet himself on the other cats.  If he's not with us, then he can be found snuggling with one or both of the other cats.  He is unbelievably smart and never ceases to amaze us with his intelligence.  He loves to hang out in the kitchen and will instantly appear when someone is in there cooking (even though he has never gotten table scraps) and will stretch on his hind legs and try to reach onto the countertop to see if he can find anything interesting, which earned him his nickname "the Swedish chef".

 

When we brought Boris home he ran from room to room over and over again for exactly 24 hours.  Then suddenly he was fine and the anxious energy had dissipated.   It was as if it just took him a day to settle in. By the third night we had him, Boris was already curling up in bed with me as I read. He is a little lovebug who will play for hours, by himself, or with Olaf, who also loves to play.  He loves to snuggle and purrs constantly.  He loves everything and everything makes him purr - us, the other cats, all of his toys, and even birds & and all the various critters that live outside will get him purring.  He even purrs when I clip his nails.  He was so small when we got him we weren't sure how old he was, but he never got any bigger, so his nickname is Lil B and he knows it just as well as his real name.  He's like a kitten that never grew up.

 

Olaf and Boris still get scared and hide when people come over they don't know.  But that's not a big deal.  They are here to be with us and not to entertain our guests.  And anyway, Hazel prefers to handle that herself, as she requires everyone's admiration when we have visitors, and doesn't stop talking until we all pay her the proper attention she deserves. 

 

 

Comments

[ginny & the fur family]

Thank you sister and husband for sharing this sweet wonderful story of HBO - This threesome got the loving home they deserved and you both got lap cats and furries for a lifetime of forever love. love is furry - love is warm - furry love is forever and ever and even after forever. Spirit lives on in our hearts - because we remember they will still live. long live the HBO kitties. Foggy weather here in Fur a Way Land. The cats don't mind they are inside and warm.

[Cynthia Prentice]

How wonderful, 3 in one shot....if Olaf had thumbs I would swear he was our cat Toxic, such gorgeous fur !!

[Lori Lemon]

Ohhh...another "Where Are They Now" update. I just love reading about the adopted Winnie's Wishers! Sounds like the HBO gang sure hit the jackpot when they were chosen by your sister & her husband! It's quite obvious how much they are loved & cared for. Beautiful little family!

[Maria in CT]

A wonderful story! So sweet how all three settled in according to their own needs and on their own terms. That's cats for you!!

[Random Felines]

what a great update.....

[Andrea and the Celestial Kitties]

Oh how awesome!! What a wonderful update! It's so cool to see how they will behave when they get a new home! Each one is different and it's wonderful when they get the time to deal in their own way!
Lets get some more great homes like this for some more Winnie's Wishers! Share the kitties on the side bar with everyone, everywhere!
Don't forget donations and wish list items and the AUCTION! New items being added every day and oh boy are there some good ones!

[meowmeowmans]

This is such a beautiful post! Thank your sister and brother-in-law for adopting the HBO kitties, and for loving them so, so much! :)