Every time I drive up to my house, I expect to see Rosie come running across the neighbor’s lawn, making a beeline to her feeding area. For two years this was how it was. Rosie was “displaced” for lack of a better word from her home. Two tomcats moved in and Rosie was “evicted,” left to fend for herself. “She’ll find a place,” her owner said.
I’d brush her with her little purple brush and tell her that I was looking for a home–a real home. I’d pick her up, look into her glassy green eyes and say, Rosie, I promise I’ll find you a home, before the end of the year. The weather forecast was predicting some heavy storms; not good conditions for an outdoor kitty.
I became more determined and posted on our neighborhood website. A few responded, but didn’t follow up. Some asked, “how is she with dogs?” Some asked if she “got along with other cats, or children?” I said that Rosie had been with other cats, dogs and children. Everyone had a reason not to take Rosie–until I received an email while I was in my Arlington, VA hotel room at the tail end of December. “Have you found a home for Rosie?” was the subject line. Excitedly, I responded that no, I hadn’t. She went on to tell me that she’d lost her kitty two years prior and added, “my broken heart is ready to love again.” I knew she was the one! We emailed back and forth for two weeks and then, two days before the year ended, Rosie showed up for an afternoon snack. I texted her “new mom” and asked, “are you home? Rosie’s here.” She was. Into the carrier she went, YOWLING all the way to her new home!
The front door opened and we walked into the loveliest home ever! A fire burning in the fireplace, clean as a whistle, beautiful. The back bedroom was all prepared with food and water, a litter box and a closet in which to hide, door ajar. But when we opened the carrier, she didn’t run and hide, she meowed a little mew, walked out and went straight to her new feeding area! She walked around the room, jumped on the bed and let her new owner pet her! Rosie had found her forever home and she knew it. Just like I’d promised.
The post Rosie's New Year first appeared on Carrie Pepper.