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Braveheart
Bob

Braveheart

Young son, Sweetheart, sees his feline father, Braveheart, as his personal protective hero.

Braveheart began taking his Father-Provider-Protector role earnestly when Sweetheart and littermates were still very tiny, huddled together in the nest under a porch where they were born. One day their devoted mother licked them to sleep and went off to find food, but she never returned. The black and white alley tomcat (whose kittens all look “just like dad”) responded to their whimpers and cries and lay with them to quiet and keep them warm. He even brought them bits of food from the dumpster, but they needed Mother Cat’s milk still.

Braveheart decided to trust the kind lady who was feeding the alley cat strays, so he ran furtively back and forth between her door and the kittens until she understood the problem the little family faced and began making telephone calls to find a place for them. We’re glad that CATS-ARE-PURRSONS-TOO could give them that safe and nurturing place.

Since coming here, Braveheart has taught us that CATS-ARE-DEVOTED-FATHERS-TOO, for he lets little Sweetheart walk closely beside him to the food and water bowls, hide behind him when bigger cats want to play too roughly, snuggle so close to him at naptime that they seem intertwined as one ball of fur, and best of all, learn from him how to trust and appreciate the love of humans. This lesson took a long time and lots of paternal patience, as little Sweetheart tended naturally to bolt away from people and to tremble when held. Like any good father, Braveheart seemed to devise a plan that would reassure his shy youngster, teach it by example, and help it develop the self assured independence it would need in its adult cat life.

Every night Braveheart led his little “sidekick” into Marijon’s bedroom and up onto the foot of the bed. Each night he moved himself (and Sweetheart stayed close!) a foot or so up the sleeping human’s legs and body until the two were close to her beating heart. Then, under the cover of darkness, he nudged the little motherless kitten right up against a warm, rhythmic heartbeat, and lay full length on the other side of Sweetheart. How good and safe that must have felt between the two welcoming bodies, because night after night the shy little kitten crept into that warm space – and stayed when Braveheart decided one night that it was time for him to sneak away into the other room and leave Sweetheart to awaken with Marijon’s hand cuddling him where he had been. This time the kitten did not bolt, but sniffed, sighed, blinked an, “OK, you’ll do!” and settled back to sleep.

Both Marijon and Braveheart smiled in the morning, for here is a kitten ready for a Loving Lifetime Companionship Home who would otherwise have grown up feral (wild) in an alley, and propagated more feral kittens. Of course, the Father-Son combo deserves to have a home TOGETHER so they can celebrate many future days together. Braveheart deserves that, and Sweetheart’s human trust should not be betrayed by separation form his hero! Would you like to give the best gift to this special pair and let them include you in their loving family bond? Just call Marijon at (773) 728-6336. Whenever you come over you will find father, Braveheart, and son, Sweetheart, together – sleeping, or eating, or playing, or just admiring one another with mutual grooming and long looks of super trusting love! Impressive indeed!

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Bob

Big Bob volunteers as Welcoming Foster Father to all new and orphaned kittens we take in.

Many homes post a WELCOME sign at the entrance. We have a WELCOMING CAT: BIG BOB, a beautiful white sentry who assumes his post on the coffee table across from the front door as soon as the doorbell rings. Visitors invariably notice his striking pose, and when they ask his name they are greeted with an uplifted paw offering a paw-to-handshake. We accepted Bob many years ago from a kind but “overloaded” cat rescuer who was facing eviction because her landlord did not appreciate her desperate efforts to save “just one more” from a Chicago winter outdoors. We let her choose which of her many cats to give us, and we have indeed been Blessed with Bob who, from day one, seemed determined to earn his keep!

It soon became clear to us that not only has Bob taken on the task of welcoming human visitors, but even more earnestly he welcomes newcomer cats – especially kittens who are usually orphaned, or abandoned, or frightened when they first come to us. He will sit beside their entry cages for long periods of time, offering some feline comfort communication. When they are ready to be released into our household, Bob accompanies the newcomer around the house for a few days, snuggles with it for naptime, and stares down any other cat that might want to tease the little one who is trying to figure out just where he/she might fit in with the “established residents.” Some cats remain somewhat shy for years, so Big Bob remains their obvious Big Buddy whenever they need reassurance or just a safe sleeping pal.

No, you cannot adopt our Bob – he is far too valuable to OUR MISSION of WELCOMING “tossed and found kitties” to our safe home, and beautifully illustrates the HEALING POWER of a gentle, perceptive animal-human bond. But he would certainly welcome a generous SPONSOR to support his care and medical needs (not to mention TREATS!) as his wonderfully big heart ages into feline geriatric years.

If you would like to sponsor Big Bob, he will send you monthly envelopes, and when you come to visit he will surely offer you his paw for a grateful “pawshake” and accompany you through our house to meet the many feline buddies to whom he has been a Foster-Dad.

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