Abigail's Story, by Kathy Wilson

The Calico Cat of My Dreams

At the ripe old age of 18, sweet Rosie crossed over the rainbow bridge and I started to think about my next feline companion. What would she look like? How would we find each other? And how long would the search take?

I went to different local shelters and spread the word that I was looking for a fluffy calico cat in need of a home. This turned out to be important because a few weeks later, one of the volunteers I had talked to “had a friend who had a friend” who knew a family looking to re-home what sounded like the perfect cat. She was a long-haired calico, about 3 years old, who had lived in an apartment with an elderly lady recently deceased. And she was only 10 miles away.

A Leap of Faith

When I drove over to meet her, the cat was closed up in the guest bathroom but was nowhere in sight. After a little searching, I found her scrunched into the furthest corner of a cabinet, clearly confused and distressed. I tried to coax her out but she wouldn’t budge. Even though I could only see her cute little face (I had no idea what she actually looked like at this point), I decided to adopt her on the spot.

We agreed that her family would bring her to me in a week or so, and also bring all of her things (litter box, cat bed, bowls, treats, food, etc.). When the day arrived, things went really well at first. We all moved into my living room and Kitty (that’s what her owner had called her) explored and rubbed up against legs, seemingly right at home. As an added bonus, she was one of the most beautiful cats I had ever seen!

Vanishing Act

As soon as I walked her family out to their car and came back inside, I realized that she was hiding somewhere. I looked under beds, under furniture, in every closet ─ but there was no sign of her. By the end of the day, I had to give up, leaving food and water out and heading off to bed. 

I’d like to say that she decided to come out of hiding the next day but sadly this went on for almost a week. On Day #3, I took my flashlight into the garage one more time and finally found her hiding behind a stack of paint cans with cobwebs in her whiskers and smudges on her beautiful coat. By Day #5, she had moved to another spot, thankfully out in the open but my arms weren’t long enough to reach her. Finally a friend came to the rescue. She walked into the garage, said, “Hello sweet thing,” reached out and suddenly had her in her arms. 

Warming Up

Given a name for the first time (Abigail/Abby for short), my new little friend started to tentatively check out her new digs. She explored all the many soft and warm sleeping spots but wouldn’t let me pet her or sit on my lap. I decided to just give her space and wait for her to come to me. Little did I know that this little cat would sit across the room staring at me for 5 long months. 

And then one day, she came over and put one paw tentatively on my leg. I held my breath waiting to see what would happen next, and she slowly climbed into my lap.

Many Happy Years Together

After that, Abby became my constant companion, lying on me or next to me whenever she could. She also went in and out as she pleased, enjoying a lovely back garden, but always spending the night inside. We adapted to the rhythms of each other’s lives perfectly, and then, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, she was old and frail and clearly slowing down. In April of 2024, I held her in my arms as she quietly passed away.