DancingMermaid » loved as is

lucy_blog

this is lucy.
she is about a year old.

her mother was feral, and lucy
was found as an itty bitty thing.

because she was taught
as a kitten to fear all humans,
lucy is obviously skittish.
she nips. she scratches.
she wants some love until she doesn’t
and she will let you know.

we pet her with oven mitts.

a few weeks ago i started working with
a kitty rescue house, and that is how i
met lucy and her friends.

i have a special soft spot for lucy.
she wants love so badly, but fears it at the
same time.

she reminds me a lot of delilah.

she has been almost-adopted a few times.
people come in, see her sweet face,
and want to cuddle her.

lucy is not the cuddling type.

she snarls.
they go find a nicer cat.

one woman came in and was somewhat
interested in lucy.
she asked if she could bring lucy home
and then bring her back if she was still “bad.”

my heart dropped.
bad? how could a kitten be bad?
maybe hurt. or confused.
in need of some patient owner.

but not bad.
bad is a bad blanket word.

i am beginning to see this a lot.
people come in with a specific kind
of cat they want…
usually cute, cuddly, a lap cat that
will get along with their dog or cat.

and i get that, i do.

but another part of me thinks its
not fair that you put expectations on
an animal.
animals are like people-
they are not here to be who YOU want
them to be,
they are here to be themselves.

i think the perfect owner for lucy
will be someone who comes in,
sees her sweetness underneath the snarls,
and decides to give her a chance.

we all deserve a chance.
don’t you think?

i think when you really love
someone exactly how they are,
you give them the chance to shine.

**********************

creative assignment: how can you embrace the snarly bits of you, or someone you love?

13 Comments so far

awww, if i lived near there, i would totally take lucy
this post made my eyes tear up.

i need a writing tablet …

id take her in a heartbeat a long with every other of gods furry creatures.

agree – and i think you should post your sweet writings about the kitties at the rescue…you see them in a way that some others won’t unless you open their eyes.

i would put on oven mitts and patience

McCabe, I love the way you write…I know this was about a kitten, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if people could see this in other people too…I teach my girls that if someone is being horrible, then that person is usually hurting…I always try to see the good in everyone x

It’s a bit old…but I think it applies, counts, matters, etc.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=10472576&blogId=330732728

This is such a beautiful post and oh so true. I am hoping that the perfect person for Lucy shows up.

We have a Lucy, except her name is Toby. She is the teenist prettiest kitten-cat (7 years old and still only 5 lbs). Everyone wants to snuggle her but we’ve learned that what she needs is space and a few comfort places–she will claw and scratch and HISS!). When she is ready for love she will let you touch her ears and her head, but not if you are talking (someone must have yelled at her a lot–she is so afraid of loud voices). When my son plays his cello she will often seek out a warm lap, but only then. I love that the cello makes her feel safe! Her picture

I think you will be Lucy’s next carer, somehow ))

i too would totally take lucy. my heart goes out to her. thanks for sharing her story. i hope she finds someone to love (and love her)

I am so with you! My Bascha passed away a couple of years ago, and I miss her to this day. When I got her she was 3.5 lbs, missing hair, missing teeth and she had an attitude. She’d been on the street. She didn’t like to be picked up. She’d threaten to bite you if you pet her haunches. I loved her fiercely, even though sometimes she made me nervous.

Over the years, she started to feel safer. Gradually I would pick her up for 5 seconds, for 10, for a minute. By the end of her days, she was so relaxed, she would literally melt into your arms. I always draw on her as an example of how to relax your body completely. She always maintained her attitude though. Queen B for the duration.

Her journey reminds me that we can heal, we can come to safety and we can always stay true to who we are.

Thanks for the reminder.
(hugs)
Jamie

I love Lucy. I wish I could bring her to my house. She and Diva have a lot in common.

i want miss lucy, and your writing is beyond beautiful.
http://www.camilleyanair.blogspot.com

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