Cali is Officially Ours

As some of you know, our Motorhome is named after our cat Tigger, a beautiful calico who we treasured for almost 15 years after adopting her from the rescue center near Metuchen, NJ. Tigger left us just under 3 years ago in Naples, Florida.

Nine weeks ago today, we were fortunate enough to be chosen by an abandoned cat in Soledad Canyon campground. A beautiful short haired black cat let us talk with her, pick her up and invite her into our motorhome where she immediately hid in the dashboard and would not come out on our departure day. Others at the campground assured us we were the only people who had been able to pick her up. The Ranger told us she had been abandoned four months earlier. In spite of mountain lions, cougars and coyotes she managed to survive; clean, healthy although a bit underfed.

The First Day we met Cali

Aren’t I Cute? – Please say YES!

We named her Cali, for California, as we did not know if she was a girl or boy. But we thought she was a girl. She slept a lot and cuddled with us whenever we offered her a lap. She hides away from the loud noises the motorhome makes on travel days in various hiding places we didn’t even know we had. But mostly she stays close to us both.

Feeling at Home at Last!

While staying near Olympia, WA we took her to a vet, who said she was a she, healthy, almost double the weight when we found her, probably about 4 years old and that she was chipped. So we contacted the chip company who made phone calls and sent emails to her previous owner. After a week with no response, they said we are now Cali’s new owners. Cali was previously called “Shadow”, had been rescued before as she had been chipped by the LA County Animal Care and Control  and, in fact, is 10 years old (January 2010),

Watching the World go by – from a safe place

We are very fortunate that Cali, in the same way as Tigger, chose us. There are so many similarities in behavior and loving personality that we are convinced that Tigger sent her to us.

Don’t you just love native art?

YES! They are mine at last!

We missed having a cat but were not actively looking while we still make our 2 trips per year to the UK. But Cali prevailed. She is now part of our daily FaceTime with Richard’s Mum who loves to see and talk with Cali and is really looking forward to Cali getting a passport so she can join us on our UK visits.