Adopting our kittos from Paws and Claws Chicago Rescue made my actual childhood dream
come true. As a working mother, I am always on the go: up at 5:40am and pass out by 10:30pm. There is very little time for me. For all of my life, I have lived with individuals who were allergic to cats: my brother, mother, roommate, and even husband. My dream was to have a cat to call my own. I didn’t even have a career aspiration. I just wanted a cat.
But I also did not want my loved ones to be uncomfortable living with me, so it never happened. Don’t get me wrong—I browsed adoption sites as a form of escapism at least four times a year. My home décor and personal wardrobe screamed “cat lady”. Everyone who met me assumed I owned cats.
And then one day, my husband’s allergies got so bad that I threatened to drag him to the allergist myself, so he could have relief from debilitating headaches and sinus pressure. His allergies were preventing him from spending quality time with our two children. After a few appointments of intense allergy exams, we found out we could have had a cat FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS!
You bet your sweet feline rump that I immediately consumed every current cat-care book and instructional video published in the last five years while I sifted through countless Chicago-based rescues. It was easy to fall love with Paws and Claws Chicago Rescue based on their foster system and incredible personality descriptions of each available animal. After working with Ashlynn for a few weeks, my family adopted a brother-sister bonded pair.
I am still up at 5:40am taking care of the family, but now I find myself slowing down every day and enjoying frequent little moments because our kittos demand this. One cannot run around when brushing a cat. One cannot multitask when trimming nails or cleaning cat teeth. And one cannot simply get up, when the cat settles on your lap. You must slow down and live in the “meow”.
Our vocal, always slightly annoyed girl, Leeloo, is the crazy-needy lap cat I always dreamed of owning. She is, quite simply, my familiar. Our quiet, very much acts like a dog boy, Korben
Dallas, communicates in ways I thought only canines could, such as pointing, turning on faucets, observing the house for changes, and greeting you at the door when you return home. He is our guard cat.
Adopting Leeloo and Korben from Paws and Claws impacted our lives for the better by teaching our family to live in the moment, care more about naptime, savoring meals, play, cleanliness, and mastering the art of slowing down one paw at a time. Also, tuna.
Love,
Liesl C.