I was new in the Portland area and had recently lost my remaining elderly cat. I would follow the pet-of-the-week column in the Oregonian and one day was much taken by a sad-looking, elderly diabetic snowshoe Siamese named Suki. While my heart went out to her, I wasn’t in a position to adopt at the time, but for the first time became aware of Suki’s shelter — Cat Adoption Team. Fast Forward a few months: I was now volunteering at CAT. A month or two after I’d started, I was asked if I wanted to try fostering an adult kitty. I said sure, and they added she was older and diabetic, a snowshoe Siamese. Suki? Yes! Still at CAT so many months later. Suki had had continuing issues with all her fosters, the hospital staff, and the shelter itself — I heard her yowling in the background even as we talked. But Suki and I turned out to be the perfect match for each other and I subsequently adopted her — foster failure! We had three lovely years together until she passed away at 16 years of age. I’ve been volunteering at CAT for 14 years now, and it all started with serendipity and a cat named Suki.
Shared by: Lowry Stephenson
