This is a long story,
For a few years, I've been giving food to some stray cats who linger around my apartment (I wasn't able to adopt and they were feral). One of these cats I grew very close to. I had named her Nelly. She was a long hair gray and white cat, very pretty. It took me forever to gain her trust with me. She was very skittish but after a time, I was able to pet her and then soon enough, pick her up. One day, I noticed she was pregnant (she must have went into heat sometime in February). I didn't know any organizations who could help her at the time.
One day in Early April, Nelly was at my window where I usually give her food. She was laying down and was in pain. She was in labor!!! I was beyond freaked out. Soon, she gave birth to one little kitten, a premature kitten. I knew she was still pregnant because she was so big still (and she was usually very small). I didn't know what to do. I had contacted my friend who knew more about cats then I did. We both began looking around online for any places, any shelters where we could take her and her kitten. I did NOT have the means to take care of a feral cat and a newborn with expecting kitties not long after. So I watched over them during the entire night as it had started snowing (yes it was snowing in April) and I knew that kitten was going to die if I didn't keep it and mama Nelly inside. So I watched over them all night, knowing Nelly wasn't comfortable because she was feral, but once morning came, I asked another friend to help out since she was a cat lover as well.
We were on our way to Little Victories, a no-kill shelter, but when we arrived, we were denied help, because they were full of cats already. Nelly had gotten freaked out while at Little Victories and ran away, abandoning the newborn in her moment of fight or flight.
Now we had a little kitten who needed a mama. We were given some recommendation for local rescues. As we got the kitten some milk from Petco, we finally got a response from someone from ASAP! "We have a foster who will take in a kitten." We were so relieved! My friend and I went to her as soon as we could, and that is when we met Haley Vance. She was a volunteer for ASAP and was looking after another kitten. We talked for a while about the organization and what she did as a Cat Foster. I left the kitten there, telling her that I fully intended on adopting the kitten once he was old enough.
However, that never happened. The kitten was too small and got sick, resulting in his quick death.
I was depressed. Not only had I lost my stray cat from running away, her baby had died as well. As a college student who worked in the daytime, I was feeling depression really hard. I felt that I had failed a cat who trusted me (and getting stray cats to trust a person is difficult). I knew I did all that I could for her, but it still hurt.
One day, I was with another friend and I was telling her the story of what had happened. She then asked, "do you wanna go to Petco and adopt a cat?" I was hesitate but I said yes, but I only wanted to look around.
When we got there, there was this beautiful white male cat with a yellow eye and a blue eye. He was beautiful. I was intrigued. I asked the cashier if I could hold him and she let me, but he wasn't the car for me. I needed a cat who was affectinate and loving (I know I sounded picky but I was looking for a Emotional support animal). I put him back and I suddenly her a 'meow' from below. There she was. A short-haired black female cat. I asked the cashier if I could hold her as well, and once I had her in my arms, she was purring and nuzzling against me.
I had found my cat!
She was exactly what I needed in an animal. Loving, affectionate, and someone who needed love as well. I adopted her! I didn't like the name she had, so I named her Wendy. On her records, it had said that her previous foster, Haley, had medicine for her since she had surgery not long before her adoption. So I got into contact with Haley and she came over with Wendy's medicine and saw how well adjusted she was after a few days.
Now, after a month since her adoption, Wendy is a healthy 9-pound bundle of snuggles and love...and the occasional brat, but what fur-baby isn't?
I fully support this Organization and their efforts to give pets loving forever homes.