My 'lil Mama's: Sweet Dora & Red Rose "rosy"

2Cats4everLoved

2Cats4everLoved

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As many of you may remember, after the loss of my babies within the same year, I promised I would adopt 2 senior cats who had once know a home.

2017 was a long year. After looking at hundreds of pictures online of local shelters and being disappointed for not acting quick enough, it finally happened.

I had been eyeing these two senior gals since last August as well as others. Then in November, with the encouragement of my neighbor who works at the shelter, I decided to go ahead with the adoption process.

At first I had two in my sights who weren't a double adoption but got along. Then it happened again, after not acting quick enough the cat was adopted and the other we had looked at passed away. I kept gravitating back to these two gals. Then Christmas passed and still no kitties. I kept looking at these two faces wondering why they were still there and felt a strong connection, even naming them, Olive & Pimento (it was their eyes looked like olives, LOL). Then it happened again, I was on instagram and read that North Shore Animal League was pushing for these two and they had been overlooked for Senior Adoption month, well right then, I responded. NOOO They're mine, I'd had my eye on them for a while now. I want to pick them up next weekend, I've already been approved. Right at that moment with a click of a button I sent the response and they were mine, just like that, MINE!!!

We had a snow storm so we had to wait a few more days to pick them up, and I have to tell you, I was so anxious and excited, I couldn't stop nesting, LOL. I couldn't wait to meet my gals, Mama & Red or as I was ready to call them Olive & Pimento, lol.

below picture is credited to North Shore Animal - it's the pic they had on the site.
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Left is Mama now Sweet Dora and on the right is Red now my Red Rose though more often Rosy.

We picked them up Sunday January 14th. When we first saw them at the shelter, they had been in a pretty large cage. It looked like a big pink bird cage. They weren't the most friendly with other cats so they were kept away from the population in a room with the new comers, right along side of the doctors exam table. When they let them out of the cage, Dora came running out and bounced all over the place. Rosy on the other hand didn't want much to do with us and wasn't amused at all. We only met for a few minutes then we went down to fill out all the paperwork. They handled the train ride pretty well, it was so bitter cold but we managed on the train and walk home quickly with all their belongings.

When we got them home, they each looked around, saw their food, litter box and big bowl of water all set up for them, along with toys scattered around. Then Dora took the living room and Rosy claimed the bedroom. We were told that they were chatters and liked to speak to one another which is true, but after meeting them, I'm positive it wasn't friendly banter, lol. Locked up together for 8 months and Lord knows what happened to them before, I can't say I blame them, they needed their own space.

That night Dora had no problems finding her way into my husbands arm to fall into a deep sleep, while Rosy had a harder time adjusting, and spend most of the night behind the bed (I think the headboard bars reminded her of the cage). However she did find her way onto the bed during the night and slept in her bed that they sent her home with.

It's been a journey, and I'll fill you in more later. Just realized I need to head out to work soon.

have taken lots of pictures and need some advice on how to handle my Sweet Red Rosy. I look forward to sharing.

below are more pictures from North Shore Site.
this is Rosy - I promised myself I would make her smile again!!!
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Below is Dora, I promised myself she would get lots of love and not worry about life.
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mama2.PNG
 
di and bob

di and bob

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I fell in love with those wise, beautiful faces, I don't think they know what will happen in their world yet. To think that these sweet girls were homeless at that age, it made me cry. And then cry again with tears of joy that you took them into your home and your heart. No matter what the future brings, you gave them your love to make them happy again, bless you a thousand times over!
 
Antonio65

Antonio65

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Congratulations on your new feline family and thanks from the bottom of my heart for adopting two cats who probably would have died old age in the cage! :hyper:

They were lucky to find you, but you too have been lucky that they were already sleeping with you on the first night.

They're both very beautiful, but my favourite is Rosy, with her forlorn eyes... I love cats who look sad and desperate, because it seems to me that they have never known love and sure they do need to know what being loved feels like.

Welcome to TCS, Rosy and Dora, you will be loved by us all!
 
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2Cats4everLoved

2Cats4everLoved

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Thanks so very much for featuring my new members of the family.
These gals may be 12 but they act like 3 month old kittens. :dizzycat::climbcat:

Their Backstory:
All I know is they were adopted as kittens from North Shore Animal League and remained with the adopters for 12 years. Then back in May, since the girls were chipped, North Shore got a call from a local kill shelter, that's right I said Kill Shelter, stating they had received two of their cats, so they went and picked them up where they remained until January 14th. They were in the top ten for longest residence at the shelter.

They both have heart murmurs and Rosy suffered from conjunctivitis.

I'd like to add, the employees and volunteers at North Shore are amazingly selfless workers, as are all shelter workers. I know my girls were shown love and affection while in their care, as all of the hundreds of cats and dogs they invest in. Truly amazing humans:heartshape:

I do have a few theories on what may have happened to have their family surrender them. As I write about their quirky habits and personalities, I'd love to hear feedback from you all. As familiar as we are becoming as a family, they remain a bit of a mystery. Especially Rosy.

January 2018 - First Week!

As I stated in my above post. They handled the train ride okay. It was bitter cold and extremely windy, poor Rosy's eyes were watering like mine from the bitter cold wind.

Below: Queens Bound! Hiding, quiet, yet curious.
IMG_20180114_164949.jpg

When we got inside the apartment, we left them in the carriers for a few minutes while we hung up our coats, jumped into our pj's and started to get dinner ready (I actually had been preparing a big pot of tomato sauce earlier that morning so the house would smell like a home, LOL has anyone else done this or am I just crazy haha).

When we were settled I put out the cat bed, blanket and scratchers that were theirs, then I opened the carriers and they carefully emerged, looking around, sniffing and hitting every spot where Simon and Chess coveted. They were so tiny I couldn't believe it. Dora was slender but had meat on her bones and Rosy was thin, had bald spots and very stiff from cage life. Rosy reminded me of one of those retired grey hound track dogs.

Right away they noticed the food and water set up for them, then the litter box which both used.

After a half hour or so, Rosy ran behind the bed and hid while Dora bounced back between the kitchen, bedroom and living room windows. I realized right away, these were not seniors, these were extremely active cats, who were lightening fast and could leap about 15 feet in a split second and Rosy could lift off like a helicopter, a hybrid between Kangaroo and Rabbit.

Honestly, in the first 10 minutes I was exhausted from watching them bounce off the walls, lol. My husband just looked at me, shook his head and said, "you wanted two". LOL

Below: Rosy seeking refuge behind the bed.
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Above: Not missing a beat, Dora exploring "Simons" window, as my husband looks at her in wonder. For me, to see a cat back in that window, put me on cloud nine.

My neighbor who works at North Shore, came to visit the girls and gave us a cool tunnel that Dora claimed and a scratcher which Rosy was drawn to. My friend/neighbor is the same angel I wrote about when Simon and Chess were ill. She feeds cares for our neighborhood feral's. Talk about selfless.

When we sat on the sofa to eat, Dora came up and tapped my hand, I showed her what we were eating, she sniffed then started exploring again. After we ate and were hanging out, she jumped up on my husband and cuddled in his arm then passed out.

Below: Dora not missing a beat. Hubby realizing I was right!
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Rosy on the other hand, stayed behind the bed. I really think the bars on the headboard made her feel like the cage. After a long while Rosy did lay in her cat bed which I had placed on the bed.

Below: Rosy finally resting after the bitter cold windy journey. When I put my hand near their faces, both cats just sunk their heads into my hand. Poor girl was tuckered out. I covered her and let her sleep.
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I don't know and will never know why their human had to surrender them, but that surrender really did a number on them, especially Rosy. She's a Nervous Nelly. She glares at us as if we too will betray her. Consistency and affection is what she desperately needs from us to build trust. My heart breaks for her.

For the next few nights we put them both in the bedroom at night and kept the door shut. I didn't feel confident that one or both would end up in the fish tank even though I covered it. They were small, jumpers and explorers. Not a good combo for no supervision. Boundaries needed to be set right from the start.

It was a struggle at night to get them in the bedroom together, there were exchanges of meows, I for one am thankful I didn't understand, lol :angrycat::angrycat:

The next morning was hysterical. Rosy was so excited to hear the can open, she started walking on her back legs, they both looked like Meercat's. I really need to get a video of it. She still does it.

By that Wednesday, I told my husband, we need to trust them and kept the door open. When we woke up in the morning, it was as if we were visited by a poltergeist. Every cabinet door in the kitchen was open, there were paw prints on top of the refrigerator and I noticed paw prints on top of the stove light canopy (?) not sure what it's called. We discovered they only needed to be told a strong NO one time, and they stopped doing stuff they shouldn't. Phew!

At the time of adoption I wanted to call Dora - Olive and Rosy - Pimento. Something about their eyes and rosy hue's. But something didn't feel right when I used them, so they remained Mama and Red until Mama (Dora) was brushing up on hubby and he said, "you're a little Dora the Explorer aren't you". She looked up at him, nodded then scampered away, right then Mama was Dora, it fits her and she responds to it, plus she likes adventure, playtime and is bit of a Tom Boy. Red I thought was way to pretty to be called Red so she became my Red Rose - Rosy.

That Thursday morning, I woke up to this! Kitty in the window. It was if she was channeling Simon. This sight made me so very happy:hearthrob:

Below: Dora enjoying the birds and new view.
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Below: Rosy still not sure of the situation
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The below pictures are pretty much how the first week went. Lots of sleeping, eating and playing with mice.
Rosie on the left and Dora snoozing in the two right pics
first week.PNG


The next weekend we did have major breakthroughs, and continue to progress as days pass. I'm going to gather my thoughts and sort out the pictures to share with you all. I have so much I want to share about my new family, but I feel like I'm rambling now.

Thank you for your responses in welcoming my girls:)
 
Furballsmom

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Not to hijack the thread in any way or to steal your thunder, but rather to add to it ;) because there really is something amazing and incredible about older cats. :thumbsup:
We did something of the same thing, the first cat we adopted as a couple was a thought-to-be 10 year old maine coon mix. Her photo on the adoption site just spoke to my partner's heart!
I don't remember the first few days, but she made it to what we think was about 17, chasing bugs in a supervised back yard, cussing neighboring yard pitties, (oh, sure, they're lab mixes - geez, yeah nobody can recognize a pitbull's head LOL) and basically ruling the roost inside and out. :heartshape:
 
mazie

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Thank you for sharing your new journey with the girls with us. I think I can speak for all of us, will look forward to reading the continuation of the Rosy and Dora saga, with pictures, of course!;) Lucky girls, indeed they are to have the two of you as their forever parents!!
(By the way, we all can see who "daddy's girl is):D
 
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