Saving Gracie

by Virginia Martin
(Rocky Face GA)

Gracie

She was wet, cold and hungry. And very small.She couldn't remember where she came from,she only knew she needed food. And a warm place to sleep. Every place she had gone, someone shooed her away. She was so tiny most people didn't see her at first, but when they did, it was always the same.
She finally came to one place and her tiny nostrils picked up the scent of food. She found the source and began to eat very fast.
A light came on, she jumped off the porch and ran under it and curled up very close to the wall and fell asleep.
She dreamt of another day when she had been warm and loved, but the memory faded when she awoke.
Much to her surprise there was a plate of food and a bowl of water close to where she had been sleeping.
She ate warily and went back to sleep. She woke later and felt the safest she had felt in a while. She decided to stay a little while.
The Woman
She first saw Gracie as a blue blur. Or at least that's what it seemed. She couldn't understand how the little cat could be so afraid of her of all people. She decided that day that Gracie would be hers.
She was so tiny and fluffy and scared looking. The woman wanted to pick her up and give her a big snuggle. But she knew it would take time. That is, if it ever happened.
Eventually, Gracie would come up and sniff her hand and then smack it. The woman was amused and didn't get angry when Gracie swiped with her claws. She understood that someone had maybe abused the little kitty. And she had all the patience in the world.
And one day she was able to pick her up . She whispered in Gracie's ear and gave her love and snuggles. Gracie calmed down and drifted off to sleep in her arms. That was the first time she'd been cuddled in a long time, if ever, and she liked it. The woman heard her start to purr for the first time and smiled. She knew her patience had paid off.

Gracie


My name is Gracie. I am a little kitty who was homeless until recently. I was always cold and hungry until the woman took me in. I had a friend named Goldilocks. Or at least that's what my humans called him. He was so cool, even though he was all matted and at the end, sick.
My humans have been looking for him all week and so have I. We don't know what happened, why he won't come eat. My human tried to pet him and he finally would rub her legs, but that's all. Now we're all sad because he is gone.

The Woman

Gracie has made great progress. Or maybe I have. She stays indoors 98% of the time. She sleeps on the recliner, behind my head when I sit there.
She still lacks social skills and probably won't ever have any. But occasionally she will get in my lap and sleep.
We don't know what happened to Goldilocks. He was very sick the last day we saw him. He never would let me pet him and it hurts to think maybe he had never 'snuggled' with a human.
This is a story with a happy ending, sort of. And a lesson to be learned. Please be a responsible pet owner and spay or neuter your pets. Not everyone is as caring as I am and Gracie could have had a much sadder ending to her story
Virginia Martin
'AKA' a crazy cat lady

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