Grace Under Pressure

One year ago today this is what I wrote in my journal. We were so upset about missing Button and we had tried all the things that you do when a pet goes missing and finally we had decided to go to the ACC and this is what happened that day.

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Wally called me on the way home from work and wanted me to go with him to Animal Care and Control to see if Button could possibly be there. What a trip that was. Oh my god. I cannot describe how awful the experience was, how deplorable the conditions were, and how sad to see those beautiful animals in those locked cages knowing what fate is going to befall them. I got so upset and I couldn’t stop crying. This place is definitely not for me. I couldn’t take the injustice of it all.

Of course Button wasn’t there. I don’t think she will come back, it’s been 5 days. I wish I knew what happened.

At the ACC, there was this young grey female tabby that was outside the door. They said she had just come up and had been there about a week. She was so friendly. She reminded me of Ping. I was so sad about Button, and watching her through the door, it just made me sadder and sadder. Nothing though prepared me for the jolt of seeing all those animals. I just lost it when they reached through the cages to me. After we had gone through and hadn’t found Button, we looked at the little girl tabby and decided to take her home with us. They gave us a carrier, and we scooped her up and went home. She was so hungry when we got her back to the workshop. She ate an entire can of food, half a bowl of dried food and some cookies. She had been starving. But, she is such a friendly cat, she just craves attention. I know I lost my mind in taking her on, but I just couldn’t walk away and leave her there. Well, she is with us now, no going back.

She’ll have to go to the vet tomorrow.

We are nuts!

When we got through with all of this, I was emotionally spent. I tried getting some comfort from Boo, but I spooked her so bad, she didn’t know what to do with me. Ping and Jinx came up to me, and understood I was upset, they didn’t know what to do with me either. I finally calmed down, and let Abby out of her room. She was in there longer than normal today. So, I know she needed to be let out to roam around. She didn’t want any part of me either. I was really blue about everything.

Finally Wally went and got Abby who was roaming all over the house and put her in my lap. She settled down very quickly and I had my lap kitten. It calmed me down. What a day.



And so that is how Gracie first day with us went. She was saved from being put into that inferno, and I don’t regret one moment of that decision, even though it was made under the worst circumstances. But, I could just not leave her there by the door begging for any kindness. She is still as sweet and innocent as she was this day one year ago. She is in a far safer place and she is well cared for and very loved.

So out of one tragedy there was a happy ending.