My name is Christelle and I am an animal lover, and it is because of this love that I volunteer once a week at a rescue & rehabilitation center for abandoned and abused kittens and puppies.
I grew up with dogs, birds and fish, but never any cats. It would only be as an adult that my fiance (Ian) and I adopted a kitten of our own.
Phoenix was 5 months old when we got him from the SPCA in May 2008. He changed our minds and our perspective on cats and living with cats in a way we never imagined. He became a part of our daily routine and often had us in stitches because of his antics. He soon made it clear that he would be the ruler of the household - and we would be his slaves.
Here Phoenix is sitting in a wastebasket - he just loved to crawl into things to explore
We could not imagine our lives before having a cat - scratchposts and toys everywhere, things disappearing under the couches, muddy pawprints in the basin - and then the unthinkable happend in August 2009. Phoenix disappeared without a trace. We put up fliers around the neighborhood, classifieds in the newspapers, we walked around calling his name, we drove around stopping to look at every little thing that could resemble our cat.
Sadly, we have never heard or seen anything again from Phoenix. Being a cat lover yourself (you have to be because you are reading my blog ;-) ) you can understand what this meant emotionally. Phoenix was our first "baby" and we took care of him as best we could.
To ease the pain and to try fill the huge hole, we decided to adopt another kitten, again from the SPCA. We did not mean to replace (or erase) Phoenix, but there was an empty spot on the couch that needed a little furry body.
So, in September 2009, 4-month old Amy made her way into our home. From day one she had us exactly where she wanted us - firmly under her little paw. Just one look from her adorable little face and our hearts would melt (even if she was busy scratching the furniture right next to her scratchpost...)
Amy on her stand (throne) that her "grandparents" made for her. Here she is already 8 months old.
I hope that you will join me on this blog as I write about everyday life with Amy and my work at the rescue center.
