Pebbles

It took longer than expected when I began my search for a cat. The "rescue" groups all wanted to keep the cats or by the time I got there, the cat was already adopted. It didn't help that Thanksgiving weekend, I was out of town. Many shelters held a large "adoption event" to empty out the shelters.

In particular, Knoxville Feral Friends, again decided I wasn't a fit "kitty mom" for their rescued cats. I've had run-ins with that group before, and it's never been friendly. I went to a reading by an author of a cat book where several members also attended, and they were snide and unfriendly to everyone in the audience except other members.

So, I ended up in shelters around the area. I tried the Washington County shelter and the Sullivan County shelter. I ended up getting Pebbles from Sullivan County.

The poor girl was covered in mats and her nails were almost grown around to her toes. I took her to Robinson's Vet Hospital immediately to have the mats removed and to get a mani-pedi. She also needed a rabies shot for my apartment manager. She ended up with a lion cut and a bad attitude.

So, Ms. Pebbles is a 10-year old spayed lady kitty. She has definite ideas about how things should be done, and she loves to eat. I feed her twice a day, and she always asks for more. She likes sitting right next to me no matter where I am or what I'm doing. But I can't pet her except on the top of her head. Of course, she gets more pets and scratches than that, but she complains. She's a biter, too. Since she has no hair, she's cold a lot, and crawls under covers at bedtime, and whenever I throw a cover over me on the couch.

She thinks the tub is fun and doesn't seem to respond to catnip at all. I don't have any mice, though she does like chasing the feathers on a stick. She isn't much for balls or soft toys. I haven't tried the red dot, yet.

This little girl won the lottery the day I showed up at the shelter. She likes me, though she hates being held. Maybe it's the way she was held down and manipulated during her haircut, and eventually, she will let me hold her.

Sullivan County (sbkanimals.org) is a no-kill shelter, and they are overwhelmed with pets needing homes. I've offered to re-do and update their website for free. So far, I haven't received any response from the people who decide such things. They have a facebook presence. They accept donations of pet food and supplies. Just drive over and drop it off. They also use community service workers as volunteers.