The story of Peaches for your Caturday...

I've always been more a cat person than a dog person... it swings like 51/49. In 2022 we adopted Harrington from our local rescue (Every Cat's Dream) and he's an amazing cat. But I wanted another one and one day in July while scrolling through the Every Cat's Dream Facebook page I came upon a picture of an orange kitty they called Jackie-O. Something in her picture seemed to kinda "call to me" so I arranged to go meet her.

When I met her she would let me pick her up and even as she purred she would try to get down and hide. Her foster told me that when she came into the rescue, either through abuse or accident, her bottom jaw had been nearly completely degloved.

I spent about a half-hour with her and, right around the time I was thinking we probably wouldn't be the best fit for her, she gave me a nose boop and nuzzled the side of my face (the boop is captured in the above picture). It was then I decided we'd bring her home; sometimes animals choose their people because they know their people need them but in this case she chose me because she knew she needed me.

This is how she spent most of her first few days with us; hiding in corners. I could approach her slowly and pet her but it was apparent she was nervous and we gave her time to settle in and get used to us. We were determined to let her be whatever kind of cat she wanted to be, even if that meant she was just a presence in the house we never cuddled or pet.

Our patience has paid off.... she now will come sit in my lap and take short naps.

She also regularly climbs onto my desk while I'm working to demand snuggles (she was spayed a few weeks ago, which is why the fur on her legs looks weird).

Watching her transform from a scared, insecure kitten to a confident, playful young cat has been amazing to see.

Welcome to the family, Peaches. We don't know what happened to you before we adopted you but I promise you'll never be scared or hungry again.

And for cat tax, here's Harrington... how it was going then versus how it is now.