September 28, 2009
ASPCA Happy Tails: Inspector 12
Working as an ASPCA Animal Care Technician, it seemed that Queens, NY, resident Angela Acevedo was destined to cross paths with nine-year-old lap cat Cricket. “Back in June, while I was cleaning cat rooms on the fourth floor, I met this sweet feline,” Angela recalls. Working with her day after day, Angela couldn’t help but notice how gentle Cricket was, but also that no one wanted to adopt her.
“One reason, I think, was because of her condition. She was on a special diet for her kidneys,” Angela recalls. “I didn't want her ending up in a household that would eventually give her back. When I mentioned her to my family, they flat out asked ‘Why don't YOU adopt her?’ That was my green light to bring Cricket home.”
When she arrived, Cricket was nervous. “On her first day, she didn't move around at all,” Angela remembers. “She stayed in the same spot on the couch for days except to use the bathroom. She also wasn't eating or drinking much, so I had to heat up her food and hand-feed her.” After a week, something changed. Cricket began to walk around the living room inspecting every inch, and she still does it to this day. “After a nice, long nap, she walks around the entire house, visiting each room to see who’s in there. Once she leaves the room, we won’t see her for hours.”
Angela’s entire family is in love with this thorough gal, including her other adopted cat, Rambo. “When I get home from work, I’ll find Rambo lying next to her, just watching her sleep,” Angela says. Cricket’s now the official queen of the Acevedo household, presiding with a loud purr. “She may be nine years old and have health issues,” says Angela, “but it doesn’t make us love her any less. I plan to make the rest of her life incredibly fulfilling.”
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