A'Musing Mondays: The Story of Sunny and Toast Part 1/An Introduction to Unconditional Love
From the archives
Happy 6th Birthday to my two amazing cats, Sunny & Toast!
Sunny found me when he was one month old- a sick messy loud little dude- who had just been transferred from a kill shelter, where he and his sister were on the list.
I have never regretted taking on these two little wobbly cats who turned out to be some of the strongest and most loving creatures I’ve known.
3 years ago, I started writing about them so you may recognize the story if you’ve been around for that long. But I think it’s definitely worth a repeat :-)
Want to send them a birthday present?
Now, on to the story!
May 30, 2022
Hello my lovely!
Sunny and Toast and I are celebrating our 3-year Anniversary, so I thought I'd tell you a little story:)
3 years ago...in a city far, far away...
I had just moved back to Austin. I was grieving the loss of so many things, including my cats Sammy and McGee who has died within weeks of each other. I had gotten a job at Austin Pets Alive! as a Volunteer Specialist and was around adoptable animals all the time. 100's of adoptable animals! One day, I was in the cat ISO ward and a little orange head popped out from behind a cushion and yelled at me. Every time I went in the ward he would chat me up.
The sign said that there were two 4-week-old kittens in the kennel: Sunny and Toast. I rarely saw Toast but Sunny was always giving me the what-for.
I found out a little more about these two little cuties. Sunny and Toast APA! rescued them from a rural shelter where they were scheduled to be euthanized. They were very sick and being treated for possible toxin exposure, but it was more likely that they had Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH). I didn't know what that was exactly. I did a little research and within a couple of days, I decided to take the leap and foster these two little messes.
The second I let them out of the carrier they burst out like lightning and skittered across the floor. So happy to have room to run and play! It became very clear very quickly that Sunny had the weaker motor skills than his sister. It also became clear that that wasn't going to stop him!
Over time, I was able to get rugs laid down on the floor so that they could get better traction and found ways to adapt the space to their needs. I watched as they taught each other how to eat and drink out of bowls. And was gifted a whole lot of cuddles and laughter.
Today it will be 3 years since I met these two cats who have defied their "handicaps". I can't wait to share more with you about how they have grown up, what they have taught me, and what a gift their companionship was during the heaviest days of the pandemic.
Keep an eye out for Part 2 of our story!
Lotsa love!
Jenni
PS: If you would like to support APA!'s lifesaving programs, check them out here!