From the Mean Streets to Her Forever Home

The staff had named her Annabelle. For weeks, she remained invisible to those who passed by her cage at our local SPCA. On a cool day in January, my husband and I strolled through all three of the cat rooms housing over 40 cats awaiting adoption, but something kept drawing us back to Annabelle. We stopped at her cage. It might have been the look on her face, as if pleading to be chosen, or maybe her calm manner compared to many of the others. To be honest, I’ve never been what you would call a cat lover, but in that moment, I just knew if we were going to choose a cat, it would be Annabelle.

The workers noticed our attraction to her and told us she had been living out on the streets for several months before being brought in. Perhaps this cat had thought she’d never have the chance to live with a family in a warm and safe home. Living out on the streets, searching for food, dealing with wild animals and other cats, not to mention the traffic and terrifying loud trucks on the streets of town, must have been quite a learning experience for her.

They estimated she was about a year old. She’d been neutered, given a complete medical check-up and all her shots, so she was ready for her forever home. From the day of her birth until that day, Annabelle never gave up. She purred while she lay on the blanket in her cage when we petted her. Perhaps she had been hoping every day that maybe, just maybe, it would finally be her turn to leave the SPCA.

We decided not to rush into an adoption, but to take some time to think about it. We walked out the door to our car. But Annabelle was still on our minds, and as we sat in the parking lot discussing the adoption, we decided it was a done deal but before bringing her home; we needed to purchase necessary accessories such as cat toys, cat food, water and food bowls, a cat carrier, and of course a litter box and kitty litter. The next day we went back to the SPCA. The minute we walked in the door, one of the workers looked up and asked, “You folks here for Annabelle?”

We went directly to her cage, and she seemed to sense it was finally her turn to leave. My husband opened her cage door and picked her up. But before we could adopt her, he knew I would have to be comfortable holding her, so he placed her in my arms. She was so contented, purring loudly, not scratching or hissing, making no effort to jump to the floor and run off. Bill and I looked at each other, and I nodded, knowing for sure this was the cat we wanted. With the paperwork completed and Annabelle in the cat carrier, we headed for home. That was on January 14th, 2017, when Annabelle became a member of our family.

When we got home, we set the carrier down and opened the door. She stepped out gingerly and proceeded to investigate every room, sniffing as she went. Finally, as if she’d made a decision, she flopped down on the carpet in the living room and looked at us as if to say, “Yep, this will do.”

During the weeks that followed, she adjusted to wearing a harness and leash, which came in handy on our trip in late summer of 2017 across Canada in our camper van. She has proven to be a loving companion with her entertaining antics and affectionate behaviour toward all who have met her. She loves to go exploring wherever we take her. At treat time, she learned that when she hears the word left, to use her left paw to get the treat, and when she hears the word right to use her right paw. She also learned when she wants to go outside here at home, to jump up on the bench, which is close to the back door, to get her harness on.

It is now 2025, and Annabelle continues to be a huge part of our life and hopefully will continue to do so for many years to come. We have invested the time and effort necessary to make our years together happy ones. When we chose Annabelle, we knew we would care for her for the rest of her life. We feel lucky to have chosen wisely and are enjoying one of life’s most rewarding experiences!

PS. If Anabelle has any flaws, it’s that she hates other cats and will have nothing to do with them. No doubt a preference she learned while living rough. Maybe it’s not a flaw so much as a personal life choice. She sent the neighbour’s cat slinking back across the street with his tail between his legs more than once. He was so bewildered by her attitude he nearly got himself run over.