Ruuo
A donation was made in memory of Ruuo by Drs. Burhenn and King at Feline Medical Clinic on Aug 09, 2021.
Sometime in 2009, on a day that was presumably sunny and warm (as most days in southern California are), Ruuo was born.
For the first year of her life, we have no idea where she was or what she did. After that first year though, we know exactly where she spent the next ten— the West End Animal Shelter in Ontario, CA. This, sadly, would constitute most of her life.
After our previous cat died, we did not intend to adopt another. We merely went to the shelter because we missed the company of cats. This is where we met Ruuo, at the time called Trista, in the large communal hallway many of the shelter’s residents shared. She was timid, shy, and semi-feral after having spent a decade alone and we knew that we were probably the only chance she had at knowing anything else.
It took 6 months of gentle coaxing to get her out of her shell (and out of the closet) but once she did she became the most affectionate lap cat. The change from her shelter personality was amazing. Even her meow, silenced by years of bad air quality, returned when she came to Washington with us. Every day she preferred to be on her cat tree by the window or nestled in a lap. Every night was her time to perch on her humans, making small, satisfied “merf!” noises.
In the two and a half years she spent with us, she was happier than we could have hoped for. Being remote workers even before the lockdown, we were able to spend almost every day with her, giving her all the love and attention she had missed out on.
Eventually, when her years of rough shelter life caught up with her and her health began to fail, we did everything we could to buy her more time. It was stressful and hard, but we know that it was worth it. We know that the time she spent with us meant more to her than the entire lifetime of other cats. When she finally did pass, the pain of losing her was unimaginable, but we are glad she got a chance to be happy and loved and to have a home, as all cats deserve.
Thank you for sharing your time and love with us, Ruuo. You will forever and always be missed.
Merf.
For the first year of her life, we have no idea where she was or what she did. After that first year though, we know exactly where she spent the next ten— the West End Animal Shelter in Ontario, CA. This, sadly, would constitute most of her life.
After our previous cat died, we did not intend to adopt another. We merely went to the shelter because we missed the company of cats. This is where we met Ruuo, at the time called Trista, in the large communal hallway many of the shelter’s residents shared. She was timid, shy, and semi-feral after having spent a decade alone and we knew that we were probably the only chance she had at knowing anything else.
It took 6 months of gentle coaxing to get her out of her shell (and out of the closet) but once she did she became the most affectionate lap cat. The change from her shelter personality was amazing. Even her meow, silenced by years of bad air quality, returned when she came to Washington with us. Every day she preferred to be on her cat tree by the window or nestled in a lap. Every night was her time to perch on her humans, making small, satisfied “merf!” noises.
In the two and a half years she spent with us, she was happier than we could have hoped for. Being remote workers even before the lockdown, we were able to spend almost every day with her, giving her all the love and attention she had missed out on.
Eventually, when her years of rough shelter life caught up with her and her health began to fail, we did everything we could to buy her more time. It was stressful and hard, but we know that it was worth it. We know that the time she spent with us meant more to her than the entire lifetime of other cats. When she finally did pass, the pain of losing her was unimaginable, but we are glad she got a chance to be happy and loved and to have a home, as all cats deserve.
Thank you for sharing your time and love with us, Ruuo. You will forever and always be missed.
Merf.
