In January 2009, Safe Haven rescued a kitty named Pip. Since then, Pip’s life has taken twists and turns. As her devoted guardians, we’ve followed her every step of the way.
Pip is a remarkable cat. Not just because she’s beautiful, with long, white wispy hair, bright green eyes and pink nose, but because she has an unforgettably gentle and sweet soul.
I (Joyce) have been personally involved with her since 2009, watching her life unfold. I’ve kept a watchful eye and ear to be sure she’s safe, happy, and healthy — because she’d tested positive for the Feline Leukemia virus.
She was rescued in January ’09 by two lovely young people in Portland. They had six kitties already and didn’t dare bring her home, so they actually rented a hotel room for this stray. That in itself is remarkable! From the beginning she had angels watching out for her!
I drove up to the hotel and they surrendered this thin street stray, dingy white from living in a dirt basement. Her face had scratches but her eyes twinkled, and her spirit and will were strong.
Taken directly to our vet after rescue, she tested positive for the feline leukemia virus. Our hearts broke. To add to her plight, she was pregnant and miscarried her litter.
After Pip was spayed, she entered foster care, where she regained her strength. Her scrapes and scratches healed. Her dingy gray hair turned white and fluffy. She was happy and healthy.
The young teacher who fostered her loved Pip. For several years everything was great until a new boyfriend had allergies to cats. Pip moved into the home of a older woman who’d suffered a stroke and was wheelchair-bound. But Pip was terrified by the sounds the wheelchair made. She hid and wouldn’t come out.
Then Pip’s foster mom realized she’d made a mistake and wanted Pip back. She loved Pip more than her new boyfriend!
Months later, the foster mom had to move away to live with her parents in the south. Because they already had cats, Pip couldn’t go with her. We ached for Pip. She had bounced so many times.
Next, Pip became the companion to a lonely, elderly woman. Pip was her friend until the woman passed on.
Pip is in our Assisted Adoption program, where we pay for all vet bills and any grooming to keep her healthy and happy. That means we must always know where she is. When the woman passed on, her family called to return her to Safe Haven ASAP.
That began a frantic 24-hour mission to find a new foster home for Pip. After hundreds of phone calls and networking, a home was finally found. When we called the family to tell them, they had given Pip away! The woman who now had Pip never returned our calls. This Safe Haven kitty was now lost to us.
We’d been so worried about Pip. Now it’s a year and a half later, I was reading the paper and there on AWS’s page is a white cat whose face I knew and loved. It was Pip! I called the shelter and after more investigating confirmed this was our Pip! I learned that the poor darling had gone to two more homes since she’d been given away, before being surrendered to AWS.
Pip will be coming back to Safe Haven. Being FelV+, she will remain in our Free Vet Care for Life program. Anyone who adopts Pip, or any cat with Feline Leukemia, will receive all necessary vet care paid for by Safe Haven.
We are looking for Pip’s FINAL and FOREVER HOME. She deserves it. She needs it. She is very sweet, very beautiful, very dear. She is healthy, too—she carries the virus but may never develop the disease. She needs to be an only cat or could live in a home with another FeLV+ kitty. Interested? Please call 207-229-8314.
The kitties thank you!
