The Cat Who Came Back

Patch readers first met the tortoiseshell cat, or "tortie", when she was living in the Kitty Motel at LifeLine Animal Project and looking for the love of a good owner.

She found it.

Amelia was adopted last year and discovered a new kind of bliss, one she'd never had before, as someone's pet. This sweet natured, dog-loving cat was happy at home with a new owner who adored her. They had a mutual admiration society going and all was well for many months.

Then fate and the bad economy turned her world upside down when Amelia's owner lost her house and was finally forced to move to where she couldn't keep a cat. The owner, heartbroken, returned Amelia to LifeLine.

Having now tasted life as a beloved pet, Amelia seems heartbroken too.

"She's feeling so sad," says Mickie Blair, LifeLine's cat rehabilitation director, "She's such a sweet cat with so much love and companionship to give. She can't seem to understand how she got back here."

"Back here" means in a cage in LifeLine's no-kill shelter, until there's room again in the Kitty Motel or LifeLine's administrative office for her to roam while waiting to be adopted for a second time.

Everyone at LifeLine is hoping for that second chance for sweet Amelia.

Amelia spends her days curled up in a basket her owner had given her. She gets petted by busy volunteers when they have a moment to visit, but it's not the same as being someone's cat. Even the best shelter with the most loving staff is not the same as having a home to call one's own.

Amelia is a healthy adult cat with beautiful coloring and a great temperment. She is current on all her vaccinations. She loves people and dogs.

If there is room in your home and heart for Amelia, please contact mblair@lifelineanimal.org . She can be adopted or is available for foster if you want to keep her company until she finds her new home.

"She comes with a basket and her own blanket," Blair says, "But most of all, she comes with a lot of love to give."

This article first appeared in Decatur Patch.