Shelter Cats: (Kat)Rena Survives the Storm

In honor of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, we've asked our bloggers to share stories of adopted shelter cats and dogs.

My Himalayan cat is named Rena. I adopted her from Louisiana during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

A "cat" named "Rena." Kat-rina. Get it?

Even before I took Rena home for the first time, I knew I wanted to pick a name that honored where she came from. I remember those horrible days in September 2005 that I spent glued to the television, watching the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Like most Americans, I felt outraged and helpless, wishing there was something I could do, some tangible way I could make it just a little bit better.

Then I got an e-mail from Stray Rescue of St. Louis, one of the best stray rescue groups in the country. I had adopted my dog, Duke, through Stray Rescue about three years prior, and had received their e-mail alerts since. Stray Rescue was planning to send a caravan of vehicles down to the New Orleans area to bring back as many cats and dogs as they could carry, and to keep doing so for about two weeks. Could I help by taking one of them into my home?
While the thought of a second dog made me wary (Duke was and still is a rambunctious mutt), suddenly the notion of a shelter cat struck me as just about the best thing I could do -- not just for the cat, but for Duke and I both. Even though Duke had no experience with cats, I had a hunch that a feline friend would make good company for him. And it would be nice to have a pet around that didn't always want to go out, eat off my plate or hog the sheets.

I showed up at Stray Rescue one afternoon and waited in the parking lot with about 12 others. Before long, two passenger vans arrived and out spilled countless dogs, and one crate of kitties. I don't recall why my eyes leaped towards Rena, but as with most shelter adoptions, I just looked at her and knew she was the one for me.

I was told Rena was probably a couple of months old, and she'd never had a home. She'd been born in a shelter in Baton Rouge. When the hurricane hit, first responders had emptied all the New Orleans shelters and transplanted those animals to the nearest safe facilities. Baton Rouge's facilities quickly bulged beyond capacity, so the next strategy was to provide relief there.

I went inside and began filling out paperwork, and was moments away from taking Rena home when a nurse informed me that they'd have to keep the shelter cat for another few days. They'd just been informed that there was a case of feline leukemia in Rena's Baton Rouge shelter, so she'd have to be held for testing. Even though I'd only known Rena for a few minutes, I almost couldn't bear to leave her behind. I was able to take her home the next week.

Since adopting Rena four years ago, she has enhanced and completed our little family in more ways than I could have ever imagined. And she reminds me that no matter how bad things may get, there is always a little good to be found.

Tags: adoption, cats, pet, pets, shelter cat