Erica's Story
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| Erica |
As we came down our road one night in the spring of 2007, a little creature hopped across the road. I thought it was a rabbit and was pretty amazed, as we had never had rabbits on or around our five acres before.
It was several more days before I saw the tiny cat in our back field and realized it was the hopping creature I had seen. For many days I saw the little cat but could not get close to her. She was wearing a collar so I wasn’t too concerned. After several weeks I started to become a bit worried because she was always on the property following me around at a distance.
Finally I decided to put out some food to see if she was hungry. Of course hubby was screeching and jumping about saying, "if you feed her she'll never go away."
"Hmmmmmmmm, hon. She's been here for weeks without being fed and hasn't left so what do you want me to do?"
I put out some food and she couldn't get it down fast enough. After many more days I was finally able to pet her and was shocked to discover she was a skeleton wearing a fur coat. The first time hubby petted her he changed his tune and was very glad we had given her food. I didn't think an animal could be that thin and still be moving about.
As the weather became colder, she was given a bed in the barn. Soon the bed was put in a large computer box. As the temperature dropped even more the box was wrapped in insulation, and shortly thereafter, my own heating pad made its way into the bed. By now she had a name; Erica.
Every day Erica sat by our back door and gazed into the house already populated with two dogs and another cat. Her face said it all, “I want to be part of this family.” One night the temperature was to drop very low and yes (you can hear it coming), Erica was allowed to sleep in my office. And that was that! She became an official member of the family on that evening.
Probably due to her early months, Erica remains a tiny little girl, barely weighing 6 lbs. Even the vet marvels at how delicate and tiny she is, while still being extremely healthy. Our pastor, who lives next door, calls her "petite."
I’ve thought often of the faith that little scraggly cat, who grew into a beauty, demonstrated. She knew in her little animal “soul” that she would have what she desired. She was always calm and quiet as she watched through that door. Her persistence and patience paid off.
Erica taught me about patience, persistence, and most importantly, about the power of faith. How would our lives change if had just a little bit of what Erica had? Be vigilant for you never know who or what is going to teach you a lesson.
It was several more days before I saw the tiny cat in our back field and realized it was the hopping creature I had seen. For many days I saw the little cat but could not get close to her. She was wearing a collar so I wasn’t too concerned. After several weeks I started to become a bit worried because she was always on the property following me around at a distance.
Finally I decided to put out some food to see if she was hungry. Of course hubby was screeching and jumping about saying, "if you feed her she'll never go away."
"Hmmmmmmmm, hon. She's been here for weeks without being fed and hasn't left so what do you want me to do?"
I put out some food and she couldn't get it down fast enough. After many more days I was finally able to pet her and was shocked to discover she was a skeleton wearing a fur coat. The first time hubby petted her he changed his tune and was very glad we had given her food. I didn't think an animal could be that thin and still be moving about.
As the weather became colder, she was given a bed in the barn. Soon the bed was put in a large computer box. As the temperature dropped even more the box was wrapped in insulation, and shortly thereafter, my own heating pad made its way into the bed. By now she had a name; Erica.
Every day Erica sat by our back door and gazed into the house already populated with two dogs and another cat. Her face said it all, “I want to be part of this family.” One night the temperature was to drop very low and yes (you can hear it coming), Erica was allowed to sleep in my office. And that was that! She became an official member of the family on that evening.
Probably due to her early months, Erica remains a tiny little girl, barely weighing 6 lbs. Even the vet marvels at how delicate and tiny she is, while still being extremely healthy. Our pastor, who lives next door, calls her "petite."
I’ve thought often of the faith that little scraggly cat, who grew into a beauty, demonstrated. She knew in her little animal “soul” that she would have what she desired. She was always calm and quiet as she watched through that door. Her persistence and patience paid off.
Erica taught me about patience, persistence, and most importantly, about the power of faith. How would our lives change if had just a little bit of what Erica had? Be vigilant for you never know who or what is going to teach you a lesson.
P.S. Erica is named after the Phantom of the Opera, Erik, to whom she bears a striking resemblance.
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| Erica with her "friends" |
11 comments:
Oh what a sweetie! I'm so glad y'all made her a part of your family!! They're such blessings our pets are!! So glad you shared that story.
Blessings, Doni
What a precious little kitty! I've had similar experiences with rescued animals - animals that people have actually "thrown away," left by a dumpster to fend for themselves. And they have always brought love, joy, and blessings to my life. Thank you for sharing Erica's story - and thank your for having such a heart for animals.
Ahhhhhh, that's the sweetest story. I brings tears to the eyes. Little Erica is so pretty, I love her little face. She is an angel with a tale. Thanks for the sweet story. The people who rescued her are saints. I rescued a doggie from the alley without tags some years ago, and then took her to the vet the next day, and he gave the OK. I had her in my house that day, and se was wonderful. She's in heaven now with my other doggies.
God Bless.
Such a lovely story. All three of our cats came from shelters, just needing a second chance and some love. It was totally worth it.
Adrienne, that was an absolutely wonderful story. You should submit that somewhere. It is a sure bet it would be published. Erica is so beautiful! That little face is adorable. Oh my. Take care and start looking for cat publications. Do it, Adrienne! Susan
What a pretty cat. Thanks for giving her a home.
Have a great weekend.
Wow, (as I dry the tears) that was beautiful! We once had a similar experience. A cat, we named Tommy, found his way into my and my sons life. He, too, was not welcomed at first for many reasons. The most prevalent being I was going through a hellish divorce with more on my plate than I could handle. Suffice it to say, he became my guardian angel! he taught me the true meaning of the word: patience. When tommy died of leukemia one sad morning, I was shocked. He never showed signs of suffering, he only wanted to give his love. It has been over ten years since his death and we still use his name as an adjective to describe unconditional love.
Beautiful, beautiful story! Thank you for the reminder!
Adrienne,
What a sweet and touching story and such a pretty kitty.
I love Calico cats. They are so full of personality. I had one named Jezebel when I lived in San Francisco in the 80's. She was tiny also and had a kinked tail and a very loud meow.
Thank you for sharing your story of Erica.
Meow!
Adrienne, I am so glad that you and hubby chose to bring Erica into your lives. What a precious gift! How is she doing now? We have 3 stray animals and we love them to pieces. This is a wonderful story of love! Hope you're doing well!
Me again. :-D Thanks for stopping by. I know exactly what you mean by your 2nd statement - You don't want to get me started! :(
Sure hope they get your road fixed. When it gets cold and the heavy rains start, things could really get bad.
Awe
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