An Adoption Story by Ellie, the Cat

Imagine our surprise! We contacted Renee Bryan about the cat she adopted from Rancho Coastal Humane Society in March of 2020. This response came from Ellie, the cat!

I’ve got to get something off of my (beautiful, white furry) chest.

All the media coverage during the pandemic was for the doggies getting adopted during the COVID pandemic. Hey, wait a minute, where’s the love for us mousers? 

I got adopted last year on March 18, the day everything shut down in the U.S. due to the COVID-19 virus.  Boy, am I glad it happened that way! My family had to move out of their apartment, and they left me behind. Thank goodness for the City of Chula Vista and its wonderful animal rescue program. The Chula Vista Animal Shelter partners with Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) and, when there are a few more dogs and kitties than they can handle, RCHS sends out its FOCAS transport van! RCHS already had a kitty named “Ellie” so, when I arrived, I thought, “Okay, no biggie. I’ll be called Eloise, for now.”

My Mommy had been looking for months for the perfect kitty for her home. She came to RCHS.  It was love at first purrrrrrr! I am a very relaxed girl, but going to a new home was scary. I went under the big bed on the first night until the lights went out and she went to sleep. I wasted no time getting up on that comfy bed, and now it is my nightly routine. She even lets me go under the covers in the mornings when it is chilly in the house. Oooooh, awwwww, so snuggly!

I am using my original name “Ellie” now.  Did you know that naming kitties with an “eee” at the end of our names helps us recognize our names easier because the “eeee” sound reminds us of the little squeaky noises mice make when we are on the hunt? Yep, it’s true! 

I found my litter box right away and, since Mom was working from home, we had a lot of time to build trust and a loving bond. I have lots of cozy places to sleep in the house. Mom calls them my donuts. It is quite like a bakery, as I have a strawberry (pink), vanilla (cream) and a chocolate (brown) bed. I usually trade off so no one bed gets jealous of the others. She even bought me a cat tree that I sleep on while watching the crows outside, various bird species and mallard ducks she feeds every day. 

My favorite past times are interactive play with my cat dancer toy and my rubber and foil balls. Did you know the best cat toys are often the cheapest? My rubber balls were only $5 for a package of four! (One already bit the dust because I played with it so much!) 

So, if you are thinking of bringing home a furry family member, don’t forget about us kitties. We give a lot of love, too!