The Tale Of Ser Pounce
It's almost that time of year again where we get our witchy vibes on and start casting spells on people that don't believe in global warming. Feel the heat! When we're not stirring up the blood of men in our cauldrons, we try to debunk these never-ending superstitions the public has around Halloweeny topics such as jack-o-lanterns, bats, spiders, witches, cauldrons, and most importantly, black cats. Superstitions can be seen as silly, but sometimes the psychology behind it can ring deep and that means lots of black cats are left unadopted at shelters year round. According to Black Cat Rescue, black cats are only half as likely to get adopted as cats of other colors. Even more disheartening is the risk to their safety during the Halloween season. Every year, the media reports Halloween-related animal abuse.
As a proud owner of a sweet and very chubby black cat who loves belly rubs and sitting at the dinner table, I’m reminded this time of year about his rescue story. Whether you can go out today and adopt a black cat, donate money to your local shelter, or volunteer, I encourage you to help. For the month of September, the TomboyX team will play a part in black cat safety and donate $1 for each pair sold of our black cat inspired underwear to Black Cat Rescue.
We know that many of our customers are proud pet owners and the TomboyX team would love to hear your rescue stories.
This is Ser Pounce’s…
In the Fall of 2013, before I became a proud cat mom to Ser Pounce, he and his siblings were nothing more than a small group of cells growing inside the belly of their mama. At that time his mother was cursed with an owner who showed no regard for her life, and who couldn't have cared less whether she lived or died. He's the villain of this story, so we can call him Joffrey.
Ser Pounce's mother was consistently neglected. She was routinely made to go without basic needs (i.e. food, water, shelter) and therefore had to acquire them all out in the streets just to survive. She was not up to date with her shots and was regularly sick. To make matters worse, Joffrey also had no interest in getting her fixed. To that end, her time spent out in the wild led to two pregnancies.
The first of these pregnancies was not the precursor to Ser Pounce. It had occurred one year prior in 2012. At that time, an old college buddy of my boyfriend (now husband) Chuck, knew someone who knew someone who knew Joffrey. A vicarious acquaintance at best. It was during this time that our friend BJ was also made generally aware of the following things:
1. The cat’s existence;
2. That the cat was pregnant; and
3. That Joffrey did not care what happened to the cat or her kittens.
A few months later BJ happened to have a chance encounter with Joffrey and inquired about his pregnant pet. He had seen the cat walk by just minutes earlier, not pregnant and with no kittens in tow. Joffrey's response gave BJ a shiver down his spine and a strong impression that those kittens had been terminated soon after birth. To be clear, I am not referring to dropping them off at the Humane Society for adoption. They disappeared and none of us could figure out where they had gone.
While BJ never had the displeasure of running into Joffrey again after that, the whole experience was enough to make a significant impact upon him. After a year, when BJ found out Joffrey's cat was pregnant again, he knew he had to be these cats' knight in shining armor.
Fearing the worst, he immediately reached out to our circle of friends in an effort to save the cat and her babies. He was put into contact with Joffrey and offered the following deal:
‘Look, it is clear you don’t care about the cat, so please give her to me. I’ll make sure to pay for her shots and food, get her fixed - and - find her a good home.’
The response? “Sure, take her.”
Joffrey is apparently very easy to negotiate with. BJ dropped what he was doing and set out to pick up the pregnant cat. After getting to Joffrey's house, he spent the next hour looking through the various neighbor’s yards and street alleys in an effort to locate her. What he found dismayed him even more than expected. She was in rough shape. Worn thin from abuse and malnutrition, she had one eye glued shut from infection.
With very little effort, BJ was able to coax the sick cat into his possession and drive back home to his wife. Despite his desire to save the cat, he had no room for another animal let alone a whole litter of them. It was at that time that he reached out through social media, imploring friends and family for help in an effort to find a home for all of their new charges.
After hearing the story about the cat, how she was acquired, who she was acquired from and the state of its current wellbeing, Chuck and I knew we had to help. We had been thinking of getting a cat anyway, so this news couldn’t have been more fortuitous. We decided we wanted to name our cat Ser Pounce.
Per the advice of his local Human Society, BJ allowed the kittens to be born and spend the first few months with their mother, prior to adoption. He contacted a local organization that specialized in pet adoption (a non-profit dedicated to finding homes for animals residing in kill shelters) and they offered to help him find homes for any kittens he was not able to find on his own.
BJ had already named them a variety of unique names knowing their future owners would eventually change them. There was Nitro, Blazer, Captain Burrito, Ser Pounce…
Our ears perked up at that last one.
We had already decided on naming our cat “Ser Pounce” (a name derived from the world of Game of Thrones.) It was there in that moment that the existence of destiny became apparent. Ser Pounce was to be our new family member. It was meant to be.
Chuck learning they had already named one of the cats Ser Pounce.
Chuck took the trip over to Eastern Washington. After sitting down with the non-profit for a mandatory screening interview to ensure sure he was a fit parent, Ser Pounce was placed into our custody. One of the best decisions of our life came from a concerned friend who couldn’t stand to see an animal mistreated.
Chuck meeting Ser Pounce for the first time.
Our friend saved them all…mother, kittens and of course, our Ser Pounce. All of which were adopted by stable, caring families and all of them getting the chance to live in the way all animals deserve to live…surrounded by love.
Share your pets rescue story with us in the comments below.