Originally posted 4/29/20
The Seattle Animal Shelter has been making a difference in the lives of pets and pet owners for nearly 50 years. Irina Mueller, SAS volunteer and cat mom, shares how SAS helped her find a best friend for life.
“We lost our previous cat in August 2017. It was devastating. We weren’t looking for a new cat. We even moved into a new apartment with a “no pet” clause. I started volunteering at the Seattle Animal Shelter in the fall of 2018. Oliver, a handsome tabby originally called Cheezy, came to the shelter in early March 2019.
Oliver was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and unfortunately his previous owner could not afford to take care of him. At the shelter, he received the treatment needed to control his diabetes by taking insulin twice a day. We were so happy to see the shelter give him the care he needed. Having a cat on insulin is an extra monthly expense, and the shelter was able to give him the very best treatment regardless of cost, thanks to donations from the Seattle community.
Despite his medical needs, Oliver was such an affectionate cat. I would sit on the floor and he would climb into my lap, purr, put his head in my hand and nap. He quickly became my favorite cat. I could not stop talking about him. I even got special permission from our landlord to have a cat! Then I talked my husband into meeting him.
We brought Oliver home in early April 2019. As advised, we kept Oliver confined to one room to allow him to adapt to his new surroundings – for about a night. He could hear us from “his” room and was not happy being by himself. He owned the apartment within 24 hours. Our adjustment period was significantly longer than his; we never had a cat with medical needs before. The veterinarian on duty showed us how to give Oliver his insulin shots and check his blood glucose levels. It took a while, but we figured it out -it was well worth it to have Oliver in our lives.
What seemed daunting in the beginning is now routine. We had to adjust our lifestyle of being home every 12 hours to give Oliver his insulin, and my work-life balance greatly improved. All the adjustments have been worth it. Oliver has been part of our family for about a year now, is much loved, and is spoiled rotten. He is still a total snuggle bug, an excellent biscuit maker and has the loudest purr (some drooling included). He loves being around people. The lap is still his favorite place, and he can stay there for hours. Now that he’s a senior cat, he also enjoys sleeping in the sun in our tiny, escape-proof and safe yard.
I am thankful that the Seattle Animal Shelter gives animals like Oliver a chance to find forever homes and live happy (and hopefully) healthy lives. Oliver taught me that he is more than an “older cat with medical needs” – I just had to look past the label. I am glad I did, because I cannot image him not being a part of my life and our family.”
To help pets like Oliver get the love and care they need, donate to the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. 100% of donations help pets, like Oliver, get the care they need while waiting for their forever homes.