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| Name: |
Sylvester
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Age: |
Sixteen years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Shorthair Cow Cat
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Home: |
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
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My sweet sixteen-year-old girl Alice passed away August 9; that same day, a few blocks from where I lived, a fellow who had owned a "cow cat" named Sylvester for 16 years, died unexpectedly. Neighbors cared for Sylvester, but none could take him; nor could out-of-state family members. So someone posted a plea on the local listserv for help in finding him a home so that he wouldn"t have to go to the shelter. I happened to see the notice, made contact and went to meet him the following day. As they say, the rest is history...
I know Sylvester was confused and discombobulated. All he knew for 16 years was his owner and his house. Gone were all his routines, his caregiver, his schedules. For the first couple of months with me, he paced. He snarfed down his food, not knowing if there was more to come. He barely acknowledged my existence. Then, things changed. It was as if he realized he was safe, that I was okay, and there would always be another bowl of food.
These days he is happy to sit on the sofa next to me, let me pet him and on occasion, give me a little lick. He has started to play a bit - not bad for an old man of 16"stopped pacing and will even let me clip his nails. Moreover, he has brought such unexpected joy into my life; after Alice, I was going to take a break in my 40 years of cat ownership. I'm so glad I didn't!
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