Lola's Unspoken Story - #MyUnspokenPet

This post is sponsored by CUDDLY

Hello, and Happy Friday! We are very excited to be partnering with CUDDLY for today’s post as part of their #MyUnspokenPet campaign.

My sister, Lexy, and I are strong supporters of animal rescue. Adopting us opened up our mom’s eyes to the rescue world and brought to light so many things she didn’t know before. Together, the three of us are proud to be voices for the animals that can’t speak for themselves.

As you all know, I am a former shelter cat. I like to tell people my story because I have a lot of important things to say. I don’t tell it because I want to make anyone cry, or because I want them to feel sorry for me (“woe is me” isn’t my style; I’m too happy-go-lucky for that!) My goal in life is to shed light on what happens to some cats when they are abandoned or find themselves in a shelter.

There is a part of my autobiography that I haven’t told yet. I’ve meowed about being found in a dumpster, but not about how I got there. Today I’m going to tell you.

My Unspoken Story

Abandoned

My story starts in the projects of East Harlem in New York City. Life in the projects can be rough, and you never know who you can trust. 

One cold, December day I was lucky to find a sunbeam in the windowsill to nap in. I usually slept with one eye open in case another cat or person tried to sneak up on me, especially since I heard the man say he didn’t really like cats and they couldn’t afford another one. But that day the sunbeam felt extra cozy and I fell into a deep, deep sleep dreaming about making it out of the projects like I had heard so many of the people talk about.

The next thing I remember is a pair of human hands grabbing me up and taking me outside. “Where are we going?” I meowed. “It’s cold outside! I don’t like it out here! Take me back inside! Please?” But no matter how much I pleaded the person wouldn’t listen to me. I looked up, and when I saw it was the man, I had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well for me. “Oh no, what are you doing?” I asked him. “That thing looks scary! No, don’t open it, it’s scary! Don’t put me in there! Please, I promise I’ll be good, I promise! You won’t even know I’m there and I won’t eat much! Please take me back inside?” He wouldn’t listen. “Oh no!” Slam!

Suddenly, just like that, my life of napping in sunbeams was over. It was so dark in the dumpster, and it smelled horrible. It was hard for me to stand up because I couldn’t get my footing on the garbage bags. I was so scared! I didn’t know what to do, so I just meowed. And meowed. And meowed.

Rescued

Finally, some nice people heard me and took me out. Long story short, I ended up in the city shelter where I got very sick. I never knew shelters and cages existed, and I never knew so many animals were unwanted and ended up there. I was only six months old (I was still a baby, geez!) and I didn’t know a lot about life, but I thought homes were supposed to be forever. I sure had a lot to learn. 

This is me in the shelter.

I heard people talking about the other cats that were there in the shelter with me. Some cats were scared and would hiss and swat at the people. Some were so sick that they couldn’t do anything but lie in their cage. I heard the people say things like “that one won’t make it out of here.” Even though I was so sick I was determined to get out, and I did! In the car on the way to my safe haven, I thought about all the other cats who didn’t get out. That’s when I decided to be an advo-cat for helpless cats and use my voice to prevent them from going through what I did.

Adopted

When I was in the hospital I saw a picture that someone took of me, and I looked like a hot mess! “How will someone fall in love with me and adopt me?" I wondered. 

This is me in the hospital. I had such a bad cold!

Then one day a person who saw my shelter picture on Facebook came for a meet and greet. I laid on the charm and in two minutes the person (now my mom) fell in love with me and I had a new family! And the rest is history!

Since I’ve been adopted I’ve worked hard to keep my promise to be an advo-cat for cats in need, and I think I’ve done a good job so far (with the help of Lexy and our mom, of course.) I’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars through Facebook auctions for pets and people in need, I wrote a book about my story and donate 10% of my earnings to rescue, and we have written countless articles about rescue on the blog to educate people on this important topic. Not too shabby for a former dumpster cat, if I do say so myself!

This is me on my second day at home, feeling safe in my new home after being adopted.

CUDDLY Helps Shelters

I was lucky. I was pulled from the shelter by a wonderful woman who paid for my care herself. But not all cats are as lucky as I was. Some are severely injured or ill, and shelters struggle to pay for their care. That’s where CUDDLY comes in.

CUDDLY is a platform where rescues and shelters can create fundraisers to raise the funds they so desperately need to take care of the animals they have rescued. They can also create a wish list so people can donate much needed items. CUDDLY’S ultimate goal is to help each of their partner organizations acquire more monetary donations, as well as product fulfillment through wish lists so that more animals can be saved. Currently CUDDLY has over 2,000 animal welfare organizations on board with them.

You can help a shelter by donating to their campaign, purchasing items directly from their wish list, or making a monthly donation to CUDDLY to give ongoing support to the animals with the most urgent needs. 

If you’re looking to adopt a pet, you can do that right on the CUDDLY site. You can browse adoptable pets in your area here. All pets are vetted, and by adopting from one of the shelters you’re opening up a spot for them to be able to save another pet.

When we were browsing through the site we wanted to find a local rescue to support. The fundraiser for  “Dumped Cats and Kittens” for All About Pets Rescue caught our eye because both Lexy and I were “dumped.” This group of cats was just dropped off in a neighborhood in Long Island. The adult cats, who were once very sick with parasites and other infections, are all healed. But the kittens are still struggling. One little kitten has a bad intestinal issue that has left his little bottom raw. Poor little guy! We’re so glad they’re in good hands now with a great rescue.  

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Share Your Pet's Story

What is your pet’s unspoken story? Share it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with the hashtag #MyUnspokenPet so the world can see it. Lexy and I can’t wait to read everyone’s posts.

 

My first Christmas at home. 

We hope you’ll consider supporting CUDDLY by finding a specific campaign that touches your heart.

Lola