A senior cat who hissed at the first person who tried to help her and had to be caught in a trap turned out to have more to say than anyone expected once someone finally stopped to listen.
LilithCredit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Nobody knew how long she had been outside. Nobody knows where she came from or how she ended up there. What is known is that she is at least ten years old, which means that wherever her story began, a good portion of it was lived before anyone found her. A decade is a long time to go without a record.
What she looked like when Angela, a foster with Good Karma Pet Rescue out of South Florida, first came across her filled in some of the blanks. Lilith was covered in flea bites, her skin raw from a flea allergy that had been tormenting her for who knows how long. She was not a cat who had been on the streets for a few weeks. She was a cat who had been managing.
When Angela walked over to say hello, Lilith hissed. So Angela left a humane trap, and Lilith has been with her ever since. However, it had also clearly not always been her life.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Once Lilith came indoors and the fleas were gone, something unlocked. "She blossomed into a beautiful fluffy girl with incredibly long whiskers," Angela shared with LoveMeow. "She is confident and at ease, and has clearly been an indoor pet before she was abandoned."
Everything about her says she knew what a home once was. The way she settled in, the way she moved through a space, the way she decided the furniture belonged to her. Lilith did not need to learn how to be a house cat. She remembered.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Lilith takes a daily medication for a thyroid condition, which she has made clear is not a problem. The moment it goes into her food, it disappears. Mealtimes are, without question, the highlight of her day, and she is not remotely subtle about it.
When Lilith is relaxed and happy, she will fling a toy clear across the room and chase it like a kitten. Angela laughs watching her do it.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Lilith has opinions. She has preferences. She has a great deal to say and will say all of it the moment Angela comes through the door after work, talking the whole way down the hall as though she has been saving it up. "Lilith runs to greet her foster mom as soon as she comes home from work," Angela shared, "and is very chatty."
At least ten years old, and no one has managed to convince her this is relevant information.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Currently in a foster home with many other cats, Lilith has made abundantly clear she does not consider this an ideal arrangement. She knows exactly who she is, and she is not interested in negotiating her space with anyone.
"She's an older lady," Angela shared, "and she's looking for an understanding home that will let her live on her own terms, in peace."
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
As anyone can plainly see, Lilith is also beautiful. Angela's advice on that front is direct: admire her with your eyes. Lilith appreciates her admirers from a respectful distance and will let you know, in her own time, when she is ready for more.
She also has quite a lot to say about the paper bag situation, for the record.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
The right person for Lilith is someone who finds all of this delightful rather than complicated. Someone who wants a cat with opinions, a cat who greets them at the door with something to report, a cat who will make them laugh at dinner and then retire to her preferred spot with great dignity.
She has earned every bit of that dignity.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Lilith spent years outside, unwell and unclaimed. Angela took her in, gave her time, and watched her remember who she was. That work is done now.
What comes next is someone who chooses her on purpose.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
She will most certainly run to meet them at the door.
Credit: Angela Smith Schwartz
Share this story with your friends. View more on Lilith and Good Karma Pet Rescue on Facebook or Instagram @gkpetrescue. A special thank you to her foster, Angela Smith Schwartz, who has cared for Lilith.
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