Bobo Finds Her Forever Home, by Winnie S.

Growing up in China, I was afraid of cats. But when I was in high school, I came to the United States and stayed with an American host family that had a Bengal cat named Rosie.

Rosie was full of personality ─ independent and always on the move. At first I kept my distance, but she had a mind of her own. She also had her own ways of showing affection, like sleeping by my feet.

Every day when I came home from school, we would spend time together, and little by little, I found myself falling in love with her. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but she completely changed the way I felt about cats.

A Cat of My Own

When I went to college, I started fostering cats like little MiuMiu in this picture, but I didn’t adopt because I was still in school and knew I would be moving around a lot. I moved to Chicago to earn my master’s degree and eventually returned to the Bay Area for work. Finally, the time was right, and I was ready to welcome a cat into my life.

While browsing the Pets in Need website, I spotted an adorable orange cat who was only six months old. I went to the shelter to meet her and decided to take her home that very same day. Because of her coloring, her new name became Bobo after the Chinese pineapple bun.

Bobo Accepts Me as “Her Person”

When I first met her at the shelter, she seemed relaxed and friendly. But once I brought her home, I discovered that she was actually quite shy.

At first, she would only come out at night to eat and explore her new surroundings, spending the day hiding in a closet. But thankfully, it didn’t take long for her to make herself comfortable. After having some time to explore and decompress, she adapted quickly to her new surroundings and started to come out of her shell. She happily played with the toys I bought her and took to her automatic litter box right away. Her playful and affectionate side was soon on full display.

Curious and Full of Fun

Since we spend so much time together, I thought it would be fun to teach her a few tricks. Bobo already knows several, including high-fives, handshakes, cuddles, and playing a ring-toss game. She gets a treat as a reward, and it’s been so much fun teaching her new things and watching her grow more confident as the weeks go by.

She’s also incredibly easy to entertain. She loves pretty much every toy I bring home, and she’s just as happy playing with them as she is exploring anything new around the house. Quite the TV fan, Bobo avidly watches YouTube videos, which she takes very seriously. And she’s naturally curious about everything going on around her. Whether I’m doing something around the house or something catches her attention, she always wants to come over and see what’s happening.

Bobo has her own daily routine too: sleeping much of the day and racing around the house at night full of energy. While I’m asleep, she sometimes picks up a toy and drops it onto the bed. When the toy gets buried in the covers, she tries to dig it out. If I hide it so I can get back to sleep, she simply goes off and gets another one. It’s a game she’s invented and absolutely loves to play!

Living Her Best Life

One of my favorite things is seeing how comfortable Bobo has become. The cat who once spent her days hiding in the closet now naps completely sprawled out in the open, watches the world from her cat tree, and confidently follows me around the house.

I’ve grown so attached to her in the short time she’s been with me. I used to worry about how she was doing while I was at work, but thanks to a recently installed camera, I needn’t have worried. She is perfectly capable of entertaining herself while I’m away: eating, sleeping, wandering around the house, looking out the window, eating some more, and then taking another nap while she waits for her “mom” to come home from work.

I love having her in my life. We complement each other perfectly.

And she lets me know, in her own way, just how happy she is.

It doesn’t get much better than that!

_______________________________________________________________________

There are so many wonderful animals in shelters just waiting for someone to take them home. Bobo is a perfect example of how much joy an adopted pet can bring, and I feel very fortunate that we found each other.

To learn more about Pets In Need and see their mission in action, visit PetsInNeed.org or follow them on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petsinneed1965/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsinneed1965/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/petsinneed1965/

You’re also welcome to visit their shelters in person at 871 5th Avenue in Redwood City or 3281 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto. Come meet their adoptable pets and give a loving animal a place to call home.