09/09/2021
🚨long sappy cat lady post ahead🚨
My sweet Sunni bun.
Sunni came to me originally named “Dolla-Tree” from the LaGrange animal shelter. She was found in a dollar tree parking lot, scared and skinny and so so tiny. At the time, I had vowed to not take in any more fosters because I was overrun. But I needed a buddy for my bottle baby, so I reached out to the shelter and offered to foster her.
Sunni was so terrified for so long. Every now and then, she would sit in my lap but I’m pretty sure she only did that because I was a source of warmth. After months of her still not letting me touch her or pick her up, I was convinced that she was going to be the one kitten I couldn’t get through to. I was heartbroken, because all I wanted to do was help her but I couldn’t get past her walls that she had put up, I couldn’t get her to trust me.
Looking at her one night, I decided that I could not put her through the terror of adapting to a whole new house. She had been with me for a couple of months at the time, and she felt safe enough to play, either with the other kittens or by herself, but she still ran every time I walked into the room. I had accepted that she may not love me like I love her, but I was at least going to provide her a safe home where she would have humans that would understand her. So after talking with everyone in the house, I decided I was going to adopt her and that we would be her forever home.
Slowly but surely she started to open up. For a while, she would only come up to me and let me pet her while I was laying down in bed. And then she would come up while I was sitting down (tempted by treats, but hey progress none the less!) And step by step, we have worked our way to her running and greeting me when I walk into the house.
This past week has been rough for me, long work hours, medication changes, and tons going on behind the scenes. Yesterday specifically I was drained. I was so exhausted that I left work earlier than normal , and I couldn’t make myself get up from my chair once I was home. It was almost as if she had sensed that I was very much not okay, and after she got done with her zoomies around the house, she walked up and plopped right onto my chest, made herself at home and just purred away until she fell asleep right there.
I wish she understood how much I needed that moment and how much it helped. I wish I could communicate that to her. I swear I could feel myself healing and becoming just a little bit more okay. She was the one kitten I thought I thought I couldnt get through to, and now she is my best friend.
