Penelope's Success Story: Penny's From Heaven!

Penelope, a longtime resident of OAR, found her forever home at the end of 2010. "Penny" had gone through a rough time when she came to the rescue more than 10 years ago. Life is much better now!

By Rosalind Moir
OAR volunteer and Penelope's adopter

Penelope Jane has done it again! She is here to stay after several false starts over the years. "Now," she has decided, "this is it, for better or for worse. I'm not going anywhere ... ever again!" 

Life began at OAR in April 2000 inside a TNR trap, giving birth to a little family  after having been abandoned in a home without food or water for several days. As a result,  her new kittens were very small and undernourished. Some  died at birth, and those that survived were quite delicate, but eventually adopted. (One, Simon, made his home with OAR volunteers Beth and Dolf Muccillo.)

As the years went by, our Penny withdrew quietly and became a gentle fixture at the shelter, although her determined presence was always evident.

 Age creeps up on us all, and she developed mild kidney failure a few years ago, so she decided that she needed some geriatric care from her old familiar friend, and home she came! I was the chosen one! What a change! How she has blossomed and morphed into a little young kitten at heart. But she is quite the bossiest gal in town, keeping all the five resident males at paw's length!

What she got up to at the shelter when we had all gone home, I do not know, but her night habits leave a lot to be desired! She is certainly a lady of the night with her meowings and antics and all those Sherlock Holmes investigations around our house, into cupboards, paper bags, drawers, food etc. Then her daytime is spent, as you can guess, sleeping and occasionally chasing a sunbeam or two, or roly-polying across the catnip-covered floor, with a satisfied Cheshire grin on her cheeky little face!

The  boys are slowly accepting this intruder, but there have been a few battles and a few growls and hisses as they try to settle their differences. However, our little Penelope, ex-Possets pin-up girl,** has been amazing in her retirement, adjusting to a real life in a real home. She has even requested that some of her old buddies should come and visit her, perhaps like herself on a one-way ticket? "Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she said!

We love her and praise her for being such a trouper for holding out to the end. But she is a survivor, always has been, and there will be NO going back! ... Ever again!

**Note: Penelope was one of the virtual shop cats for Possets Perfumes (www.possets.com). Now that Penelope has retired, Possets president Fabienne Christenson has brought Ponder aboard as the newest virtual employee. She reports:

Ponder has been a delight since he came to Possets. There was a great, big going-away party for Penelope,  too. Now Ponder has been busy learning the forklift, and I think he has the hang of it. Hayden has been answering phones, and Moonie has been "picking and pulling" Poppets to fill your orders. Good times.

Visit the Possets site to order the fragrances inspired by these four cats -- just enter their names in the search box. A generous portion of each sale goes to Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/Neuter Clinic.