Cat of the week: Davina

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

On Jan. 31, 2019, Dr. Jen received an email from Julie S. who befriended a cat that folks up the block from her dumped—and just as one of our nasty winter storms was blowing in. She was half-starved, shuddering and shivering and sporting a healing bite wound. Julie was kind enough to bring the kitty in out of the cold, but she wasn’t in a position to keep her, so she reached out to us. We were completely full and starting an intake waiting list, so Julie offered to house the kitty and get her the appropriate medical care in the meantime.

It took 2-1/2 months until we were able to open our doors, but by the time this 2-1/2 year old arrived (born in the fall of 2016), her caretaker was able to offer excellent insight on her personality, likes and dislikes:

“I have temporarily nicknamed her ‘Lady LongSpine’ because she stretches out soooo long when I hold her; I’m sure she will accept a name change easily. She likes being inside of a house, not outside. She prefers to explore space slowly and carefully, traveling around the edges of a room, pausing to check out the area; she tends to hide out under furniture until she feels safe enough to explore more openly. She likes to be where people are and once she has made their acquaintance, she enjoys the attention—in particular, she is fond of being stroked and cuddled like a baby. She’s a vocal girl, purring and talking to you quite a bit, letting you know if she is thirsty or hungry (again, like a baby). If she is in the mood for your attention or thinks it is time you tidied up her litter box, you will know it. She really likes to play with ‘da bird’ toy that is a bunch of feathers attached to a stick—I could swing that around for hours; she may be partial to stalking toys and chasing them around given her enthusiasm for this type of activity.

“Go easy on the nip, as she can get quite wild! She will be OK with a gentle dog that is slowly and properly introduced, and also has places to go to that a pup can’t reach. She’d also be alright with kids if they too are gentle, understand that she is timid at first and has had some hard times, and let her approach them until she gets to know them better. She may get along with other cats, but they would need a ‘getting to know you’ period of gradual adjustment. She will try to be the top cat in a home, so placement in a house of her own would suit her best; when she was on the streets she literally had to fight with other cats for food, and I believe she has a long memory of pain endured and a fear of dealing with felines she saw only as foes. Overall, she is very sweet and extremely cute—I wish I could keep her myself.”

Armed with this very detailed, helpful information, we set out to make Davina’s transition as smooth as possible, but first she needed Dr. Jen’s pre-program work-up to insure she was healthy; it was at that time Dr. Jen discovered that the bite wound Davina had suffered transmitted the feline leukemia virus. Sadly, this meant that she would not be going to Crash’s as planned, but thankfully she was going to become a resident of Big Sid’s, our sanctuary for virally infected kitties.

Easy on the ‘nip there, kitty. Wait! This is the resident imposter, Donut. See what happens when you succumb to the ‘nip?

After a few days of loving her up at the clinic, we sent her down to settle in. At the writing of her bio a month after her arrival, here are the insights the cat care team has about our lovely little gray-and-white girl:

“Davina—she was very shy when she first arrived but is slowly starting to be a little more social. She loves being up high on a tall cabinet until she sees people enter the room, then she’s right there asking for her well-deserved attention. She LOVES her wet food, treats, and back scratches. She’s still a bit wiggly when picked up, but will sit in your lap once you sit down. She does have a feisty side to her towards the other cats, though she’s not mean or aggressive—just a girl who needs her space. She has gotten a little more brave and has been spending a lot more of her time on the windowsill watching the birds and squirrels. She would do best with only one other cat, or as the only cat. Dogs are probably too much for her.”

We couldn’t agree more with their assessment of this darling little lady, and since the virus is transmissible AND she really would like to be the queen of her very own castle, it will be our goal to secure for her the type of home life she has long been dreaming—and deserving— of.