An anniversary

It is now eleven years since the day Minkelina came to live with me, in August 2007.  Here you see her as she appeared then - skinny and terrified, but still so beautiful.  This photo on the shelter website was what made me fall in love with her. Getting her to love me took a lot longer.

When I first met her, she was being fostered because she couldn't tolerate being around other cats.  I sat in a room with her and she spent the whole time pacing around, never stopping for a moment.  She was skinny, her fur was very short and she was clearly terrified.  I had been hoping for a lap cat, which she most definitely was not.  But I realized that if I didn't take her, nobody would.  So I decided to save her.

I didn't see her for the first two weeks she was here.  I knew she was still alive because she ate and drank and used the litter box.  But I never saw her until, one evening, I caught sight of her hiding at the back of a shelf below my eye level.  After that she started coming out, but kept her distance.

Over time she grew plumper, her fur became thicker and soft, and she learned to relax a bit.  She started following me around the apartment.  I put a pile of pillows next to my recliner for her to sit on, and she began to develop some affection for me.  After a few years, she started sleeping with me, and even on top of me.  But she has never let me pick her up, not once in eleven years.

A few months ago she decided that it was safe to sit on my lap.  It took her a week to work herself up to it, but once she was there, she wanted to stay forever.  If she had her way, she'd be on my lap all the time.  So the experiment was a success.

In case you've not met her before, she Extra shows her all grown up - still cautious, but as sweet as a cat could be.  So it's something to celebrate.