GABI LIN

It was two years ago today that this dear little one came to live with me.  It was determined that she was about two years old so I have chosen October 4th as her birthday, at least a day of new beginnings for her. Of course no one (but her & she's not talking) knows exactly when she was born.  Most of you know Gabi's story so please bear with me as I tell it again on this special day.

Gabi (the name a co-worker and I gave her) was found by the Humane Society on the streets of Seattle in August of 2005.  She was starving, matted, flea ridden...a real mess.  After an initial examination to see if she was microchipped (she wasn't), she was taken to a lady in the Seattle area who raises and fosters Persians and Exotic Shorthairs.  Gabi by the way is an Exotic,  because she has short hair unlike a Persian who is long haired.  Anyway, the next couple months she was cleaned up, examined by a vet, vaccinated, and started on the road to recovery.

The end of September, a co-worker of mine had started looking for an Exotic kitten.  She knew this lady as she had talked to her before about Exotics.  So she gave her a call to see if she had any Exotics ready to be adopted.  The lady didn't have any kittens but she told my friend about the little two year old, who'd been rescued and was ready to go to a permanent home.  She emailed some pictures to my friend, who emailed them to me and for me it was "love at first sight!"  She decided she'd take her and I kept saying well if it doesn't work out, I want her.  Meanwhile we were going over names, my friend (and myself ) both liked names that have meaning.  We kept coming back to the name "Gabi" because in Hebrew it means "God is My Strength."  After hearing the story of her survival, we both felt "Gabi" was a fitting name..   So my friend picked her up and took her home.  The vet had said that Gabi should have dry food available at all times and be fed canned food at least twice a day, because she wasso thin.  (She still only weighs 4lbs 8 oz and my vet would like to see her between 5 & 6 pounds)  Well, my friend only feeds dry food twice a day, she does not leave it out for her cats...so after a day or so she could see she had an impossible situation going.  Trying to feed two cats, two different ways...it was not going to work.  She came to work the morning of October 4, 2005 and said "I can't do this! Would you like to have this cat?"  OH YA !!!  I took an extended lunch, went to Petsmart, got a carrier, cat food, litter, etc. and that afternoon my co-worker left early, took my carrier, went to her house & got Gabi and brought her to me.  She came home with me that night and immediately settled into her new home. 

It's only been two years...but I feel like it's been forever.  She's such a sweet girl, especially at night when she jumps up on my bed and curls up next to me while I read.  She leans her little head on my arm and purrs away, sometime stretching out a front paw to my arm.  Once I turn out the light, she gets up and goes down and lays on her blanket at the end of my bed.  When I wake up in the morning...there she is...sitting there, looking at me...waiting for me to get up and give her her breakfast.  However, if I sleep too long, she's up walking around me, gently pawing my arm or head with her little white paw.  Making her little throaty noises which mean "mom get your _____ out of bed and feed me." 

Some may feel it's silly to go on and on about a cat...but she's such a dear little girl.  I can't help but love her.  Before she came along, I thought Persians were quite unattractive, their smooched faces did nothing for me.  But once you have one in your house...and you get to know their sweet personalities and dispositions, all those feelings fade away. 

So Happy 4th Birthday little Gabi Lin....I love you ! May we have many more happy years together.