Sometimes a new pet melds comfortably into its new family. And sometimes, you discover that you haven’t simply adopted a new pet, you’ve adopted a star, who soon occupies a new, enviable place in the family dynamic!
Bulbasaur came to the APL as a four-month-old kitten. An exotic shorthair, he was one of more than twenty cats rescued from a hoarding situation by the APL’s Humane Investigations officers. When he arrived, he had an upper respiratory infection, and his eyes were inflamed. He immediately he went to stay with Claire, one of the APL’s most experienced foster “moms.” Claire has taken care of some of the tiniest and sickest kittens at the APL—Bulbasaur was in great hands.
Less than a month later, Bulbasaur was healthy and ready to find his family. Colleen had wanted an exotic shorthair cat for a long time—she found them beautiful, and thought that the short face of this type of cat would be a perfect addition to their pet family, which included two flatter-faced dogs, an English Bulldog/pug and a French bulldog mix. She had even considered buying one, but believing in the importance of animal rescue, decided to wait and see if one became available at the APL. She was looking at the website one morning and was shocked to see an exotic shorthair kitten available. Not sure if it was the right time, she still mentioned it to her partner, Cindy, who told her that they were going to the APL immediately.
When Colleen met Bulbasaur, it was love at first sight. She petted him through the cage while instructing Cindy to “go find someone” because she wasn’t leaving the cage and risking losing this cat! When Colleen took him out of the cage, he put his paws on her chest, then climbed up to perch on her shoulder while she completed his paperwork. Home they went!
Colleen and Cindy christened their new cat “Squish,” and he quickly discovered what a great life he had found. He plays hide and seek, and a variation of it you might call hit and run, smacking Colleen or Cindy or the dogs as they pass by, then running away. He loves to climb onto the kitchen counter, the mantle, or high on the bookshelves, where he can spot his next human or canine target. He plays soccer with a tiny ball, batting and chasing it around the house. Hide and seek is a favorite, too.
If there’s any downside to this bright-eyed family member, it may be that Squish has become perhaps a little too popular. Squish travels a great deal, going to Thanksgiving dinner at the home of one member of the extended family, then Christmas vacationing at another, where he hunkers down to watch television with his human “cousins.” He often gets his own invitation, before Colleen and Cindy, relegating them to being members of his entourage. And, Colleen notes, there’s often a crestfallen look on the face of her parents or sister when she and Cindy arrive without Squish.
Still, Colleen and Cindy don’t sound too unhappy about their new positions, managing Squish’s social life. They happily chauffeur him to his engagements, manage his social calendar, and even update his Instagram account. You can follow the adventures of this photogenic feline star on Instagram @sir_squish_a_lot .
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 @Cleveland APL. Here is a link:
https://twitter.com/ClevelandAPL