Sprite the Kerfluffled Kitty: Behind Bars – Again

Hello!  It’s been a while since I’ve added to this blog, hasn’t it?  Sometimes life just gets in the way of plans. Winter is turning to spring, which is a good thing!  But for one shelter cat, it may not be such a good thing.  Sprite could find herself in a world of trouble if she doesn’t find a home, or a long term foster home, before kitten season strikes – and it’s just around the corner.

Sprite has been with us for a long time now – at least a year.  She was with us when the cats were in the old shelter, and we moved to the new building last August 2.  Sprite was moved around from office to office, and then she finally went to foster for a long time.  A couple months ago her foster mom brought her back when the population was low and put her in one of our empty colony rooms, hoping she would find a home.  But, no luck.

Why all this special treatment for one kitty?  Well, that’s hard to explain.  I’ve tried coming up with a good, concrete reason, but I guess you just have to meet Sprite to understand.  She just gets to you.  There are many many much nicer kitties at the shelter.  But Sprite just gets to you.  There are prettier cats at the shelter.  But Sprite just gets to you.  There are many cats in the world who love to live with other cats.  But Sprite isn’t one of them.  And yet, Sprite just gets to you.

This winter when Sprite was living alone in her room, if she would see a person in the hallway window, she would run expectantly to the door.  No matter what she was doing, she ran to you for affection, her big round green eyes getting even bigger, and her whole body atwitter with excitement.  Problem is, if you give her too much affection, she just doesn’t quite know what to do with it and she gets all kerfluffled.  And when Sprite gets all kerfluffled, she swats at you.  Sometimes she even decides take a quick nip at you, depending on the level of her kerfluffle.  She just has so much love to give and she gets confused about how to give it. But somehow you just can’t quite hold it against her.  Sprite just gets to you.

When Sprite had her private room, she would sit for hours watching people in the parking lot, the dog walkers go back and forth, obviously interested and yearning for a friend.  When she was introduced to a medium sized dog, she didn’t even get all upset.  She backed off a bit, but she was interested.  No outrage, not even really much fear.  Not so with other kitties.  Sprite is terrified of other cats, and unfortunately when cats are afraid, things can get nasty.  Not so much different from humans, really, so how can we hold that against Sprite?

Sprite is also afraid to be picked up.  She will walk into your lap and across your lap, and if you pick up a wand toy, she’ll jump and play and be a totally entertaining kitty.  Just don’t pick up Sprite, that’s all she asks.  Sprite was a stray, and some strays always remain afraid of being picked up. They no longer have control if you pick them up, and they are always worried about what you might be going to do to them.  When you are born homeless and your mother has to leave you defenseless and cold and hungry for hours on end while she tries to go find a meal for herself, it can leave a scar on your psyche that lasts forever.

I have lived with cats much like Sprite several times over the years and I’ve loved them all for their special personalities. Just like people, I wouldn’t want my feline friends to all be alike.  Sometimes feisty people are fun to have around.  No different for cats. Luckily my spunky girls all liked other cats so it made life a lot easier for all of us.  But somehow I have to believe that Sprite will find her human, too.

But it’s getting scary.  Sprite is back in a cage because the shelter is becoming more crowded and the colony rooms were needed for multiple cats.  When Sprite has to live in a cage, she gets frightened and starts swatting at well-meaning volunteers who try to get her out for a cage break.  She can see the other cats and she is afraid to come out.

Please help Sprite.  Forward this post.  Tell your friends.  Sprite needs a home!