Adopting Mika

What I’m sure every pet owner can say is that their pet has unique quirks, likes, dislikes and maybe even silly nicknames. We spend time with them and we get to know them and they get to know us. We all have a favourite pet who gave us so much and was taken too soon. We might not have a photo of that pet but we remember him or her so clearly. We remember it’s personality and how it made us feel.

Today I’m sharing about my pet. I don’t want to put her into the category of favourite because I do have a 13 year old cat who is also very special to me. However this cat has an amazing story and she’s only been with us for four months.

In September I was doing volunteer photography for the local animal rescue group when I heard about a cat who’s elderly owner had died. From there Mika and another cat, I call it her cat buddy, had been living in someone’s garage until the person gave it to the animal rescue group. In hindsight this was the best thing for both cats because Mika’s buddy had been unable to eat due to a cancer while Mika, possibly in support of her buddy, also wasn’t eating. That meant they were dreadfully underweight. Mika’s buddy had died the week before and now they were needing to re-home Mika.

Walking into the rescue centre I saw Mika and knew she was for us. My husband and I weren’t looking for another cat but that didn’t matter. I went home, told my husband and he was ready within a minute to get her. However I wanted to confirm we could take her. I rang the centre, no-one answered. I left a text message and there was no response. I said maybe we’d wait til tomorrow since they could now be closed. I called a friend, just for a chat, and when I told her about Mika she ordered me off the phone to try the centre again. This time there was success. We drove down and brought her home that afternoon.

In that first month she was so receptive, so gentle, so affectionate, so vocal, even snorting in her excitement at times. However a month later something was wrong. Over a period of a weekend she lost her sight and became confused. We took her to the vet. Tests were inconclusive and after almost a week we took her home saying that if we now had Mika blind but comfortable that would be ok. Instead, miraculously, she returned to her original state…. the afternoon she got home. Yes she still has perfect sight.

Over the past few months we’ve had a few anxious times. Now she has regular medication that allows her to be mentally alert and physically able. She has put on weight and continues to be what her name means, a gift given by God. I have other stories and lots of photos but I’ll share this one as it was taken a few days after Mika’s sight came back. Like all pets I don’t know how long she’ll be with us but I’m grateful that she is now.