Lucy
I Love Lucy
In April 2011, the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response Team traveled to Missouri to help the town of Caruthersville prepare for possible devastating floods. The team opened a temporary facility to house both shelter animals and residents’ pets. This story comes from ASPCA Legal Coordinator Lori Weitzel, who volunteered to deploy with the team.
On my second day in Missouri, I was volunteering at the dog shelter when a bunch of cats in carriers arrived. They were set to be transferred to the temporary cat shelter that night, but I was asked to move them as far away from the barking dogs as possible. I set to work arranging a cage for each with the things they’d need: food, water and a litter box.
The last cage I set up was for a single calico kitten, no more than three months old. Unlike the other cats, she stayed near the front of the cage and meowed for attention. I sat down and opened the cage door, expecting her to run to the back and try to hide as the others had done. To my surprise, she walked right out onto my lap, sniffed my face, and proceeded to lie down on her back and fall asleep!
I knew from that moment that I had fallen in love, but I didn’t think I could risk bringing home a new kitten without knowing if she’d get along with my resident cat. But as I spent more time volunteering, I kept coming back to the fearless female kitten I had met on day two.
I finally convinced my husband that she would be a great addition to our home, and after doing the necessary tests to make sure she was OK to travel, I decided she was for me! I booked her a one-way flight back to New York with me, where she’d get a new start at life. I named her Lucy because she never sits still, just like Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy!
To my amazement, she has fit right in at my house. These days, I can find Lucy cuddling with my other cat, Rocky, or chasing anything that isn’t nailed to the ground. She has provided hours of entertainment with her kitten antics, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.