This is a story about a little, black cat named Lulu who ended up staying with me for several months after her mom surrendered her to a local rescue. I had started volunteering with SPAAR, a senior pet rescue, after my cat passed away, and when they told me about a 12 year-old cat in need of place to crash, I agreed to take her in.
The original plan was to be a temporary foster mom for Lulu, but her many health issues kept her with me longer than expected. Despite her challenges and my reluctance to bond with another cat, I grew super attached to Lulu. We went for walks around the block, got coffee at Starbucks, and spent mornings snuggling in bed. We also took many trips to the vet as the doctor experimented with different medications, trying to find the right combinations and doses. But the longer Lulu stayed with me, the more I questioned whether or not I would be able to adopt her out to another family. Love, I realized as I worked through this story, is rarely convenient.
Lulu passed away just seven months after coming to stay with me. The medications she was taking to manage her IBD had given her a brief reprieve from what turned out to be lymphoma. Ultimately, we never had to worry where she would end up next. She was home from the start.