No man is an island; sometimes we need to rely on friends for help. That applies to people, and sometimes to tiny kittens.
Steuben and Precious came to the
Cleveland APL separately as kittens. Steuben was born with a congenital condition that severely limited his eyesight. At the APL, Steuben received medical treatment, including surgery to remove his eyes. Because of his age, and overall good health, the staff believed he could adjust well to the loss of the little sight he had. Precious was just a baby when she was found abandoned, too young to be on her own. The two met when they were sent to the same foster home to get some extra care and attention. They were fast friends! After healing, and putting on some weight, the two were ready to find a new home, together.
Amber and her family often came to the APL to share some love with the animals. When they visited the APL in January 2016, they saw Steuben and Precious, and a note on their cage, explaining that the two hoped to be adopted together because Precious helped Steuben find his food, “in exchange for baths.” Amber was touched by their situation.
During her APL visits prior to June 2015, Amber often was accompanied by her children, Melody and Vincent, both of whom loved animals. They had bottle fed kittens, and had even adopted a cat who they found sleeping on the engine of their car. Then, in June 2015, an unthinkable tragedy struck: Melody passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Her death was devastating. Her family, Amber explains, relied on the help of family and friends to make their way.
Some seven months later, as she read the note on the kittens’ cage, Amber was struck by the parallels to the situation her own family faced: These cats, too, could have a good life if they could continue to rely on one another. Offering a home to this pair of kittens would honor both her daughter’s memory, and the many people who had helped her family through their loss. Amber adopted Steuben and Precious together.
Precious, now called Rita, quickly made herself at home. She’s now a “ninja kitty,” climbing curtains, jumping and chasing through the house. Steuben, renamed Ronin, after a blind Samurai warrior, now weighs nearly 10 pounds, and is less a warrior than a “big purr machine.” Rita and Ronin remain close, with Rita guiding Ronin as she always has done before. And they’ve each developed a relationship with the family dog, Bernard. Helping with the care for all these animals is Amber’s son, Vince, who makes sure his friends have food and water and love.
Rita and Ronin found there fur-ever home, and helped make another home more complete. We all get by better with a little help from our friends!
Information about the
Cleveland APL
To meet the adoptable animals at the
Cleveland APL, visit our adoption center in Tremont at 1729 Willey Avenue in Cleveland or our PetSmart Charities® Everyday Adoption Center in the Parma PetSmart® store at 6870 Ridge Road. To view all of the animals who are waiting for loving homes online or on your mobile device, visit
www.ClevelandAPL.org or download our free adoptions app on your iOS or Android device.
Our Facebook page is called
“Cleveland Animal Protective League”. Here is the link to it for your reference:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cleveland-Animal-Protective-League/29396512928
Our Twitter handle is
@ClevelandAPL. Here is a link:
https://twitter.com/ClevelandAPL
Carmen Rey
Communications & Events Coordinator
Cleveland Animal Protective League
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