Paul
I Need a Hero
Paul the cat usually likes to sleep separately from his mom, Rebecca Jamison. So when he climbed into her bed to wake her up in the middle of the night, Jamison knew something was up. That’s when she realized she wasn’t feeling well at all.
Jamison takes a medication that occasionally causes her to experience flu-like symptoms; her only hope for avoiding the reaction is to nip it in the bud. And that, it turns out, is exactly what Paul was trying to help her do. Jamison quickly took ibuprofen and avoided the reaction.
Paul returned to sleeping separately from Jamison, except another night a few months later, when he repeated his small act of feline heroism.
“I appreciate him for that!” Jamison says.
And clearly, Paul appreciates Jamison. After nearly two years of waiting for a home at the ASPCA, Paul was getting depressed waiting for his family. So we featured him on our blog and social media accounts. That led to hundreds of people taking an interest in Paul—including Jamison’s friend in North Carolina, who posted his story to her Facebook wall.
“I saw him and read his story and thought, “Oh no! And he’s only nine blocks from me,” says Jamison. “So I met him—and I liked him right away.”
Jamison was headed out of town for Christmas, but as soon as she touched down in New York again, she called us to confirm he was still available. Then she dropped off her bags and immediately headed to our Adoption Center.
She knew five-year-old Paul had allergies and a heart murmur, but she was undaunted, she says: “It’s interesting. Several people, like medical caregivers, have said, ‘We’re so happy you adopted an older cat,’ but it never even entered my mind! There was no age discrimination on my part. I just saw a cat who needed a home.”
Paul, who Jamison has given a surname—Fellows, is now a happy, playful guy who enjoys napping and attacking his own feet for sport.
Jamison couldn’t be a more dedicated adopter, working tirelessly to find the best possible way to manage Paul’s allergies, never giving up when other adopters might throw in the towel.
“The woman who ‘match-made’ us said, ‘I knew he was perfect for you: You can spend your money on him and love him up!” Jamison laughs. We think she was right!
