Success Story: Marky

by Siri Espy

It was love at first description!  As a volunteer writer for the Humane Society, I receive background

Marky

information on newcomers and write their bios for the web site.  So when I read about Marky, I suspected that he might be the one.

Having lost a beloved cat to cancer about a year ago, I knew that my love of cats and their  overwhelming need for loving homes would one day motivate me to again reach my self-imposed limit of four.  As a long-time cat mom and animal volunteer, I had specific requirements:  a male (more likely to get along with a sometimes unpleasant female cat);  an adult (to blend in with my three older cats); and an affectionate lap cat with soft fur to pet.

I started looking out for prospects at the same time my husband came around to the idea of replenishing our kitty corps.  And then came the e-mail from the Humane Society’s Outreach Director about a little fellow named Marky, using words like silky, sweet, loves to be held, loves to be petted. 
Visiting Marky, I learned he’d had a rough life.  He bears the ear-tip of a feral cat, indicating that he had been trapped, neutered, and released to survive on his own.  His other ear is tattered from a fight, and he is blind in one eye from an injury.  But this is no unfriendly feral cat.  He began to purr and cuddle the moment I picked him up. 

Ahhh, bliss.

So Marky is now part of the family, and with slow introductions, he has fit right in.  The other cats were undisturbed by the newcomer, who hissed at first before deciding that this is an OK place to live.  He bonded with us immediately, at one point purring so loudly that I had to turn up the volume on the TV.  He is contented and seems truly relieved and grateful to be where he belongs.

As Marky sits contentedly by my side, it breaks my heart to think of this sweet little guy, injured, frightened and alone, with no one to love and care for him.  With his easy bonding, it’s clear that he has been around humans and was likely treated well at one point.  We’ll never know what happened in his first few years of life, up until he was picked up as a stray by Animal Control, then transferred to the Humane Society.  But that part of his life is over.

It’s a wonderful feeling to know that my pal Marky will be loved and safe with us, with plenty of food, water, treats, toys, and a choice of two laps.  After all, that’s what every pet deserves.  And that’s why I volunteer, adopt and donate.  I can’t save them all, but I do what I can to impact the innocent lives of animals who desperately need help - like my sweet, lovable, forever cat, Marky.