When I recently found out that Scooter – a kitty I wrote about in a previous column – was adopted, I cried. Although my tears were out of happiness for him, rather than sadness, I remembered writing that, even if Scooter never left NorthShore he would still be one lucky cat. But the fact is, even though NorthShore’s sprawling facility is absolutely beautiful and they have the most amazing staff imaginable, Scooter could only find true happiness in a “forever home,” with a family that can give him the attention he needs and deserves.

The following are some comments from Scooter fans, after learning of his adoption:

“Omg, I’m so happy. God is good. Ty and tell the new owners God Bless them and I’m so excited Lil baby is going to a fur-ever home. I’m amazed, happy & sad. Forever thankful!”

“Awwwwww. Sweet. How that Scooter stole all our hearts… remarkable resiliency… that family is so kind to adopt him.”

These little messages made my heart swell. I deeply appreciate the fact that people took a moment of their time to write little notes about Scooter. FYI: Scooter has his own Instagram page, and he’s already building a following. You can follow him at @scooterthewonderkitty.

I am so happy Scooter is now part of a large loving family! It occurred to me that even though Scooter bonded well with other cats in the free-roaming cat room at North Shore, each time another cat would get adopted, he would lose a friend. This is something that would happen time after time, since their adoptions are so robust – and it’s what made me realize that he NEEDED a forever home, with people who love him, and other cats that can become lifelong friends (not just temporary ones).

God sent the most amazing people to adopt Scooter! I hope to have the pleasure of speaking with Scooter’s new Mom and Dad before next month’s article so that I can share more about his new family, which I believe includes two dog siblings and three cat siblings (one of which is blind).

And until then, here are some interesting cat facts:

  • A cat’s heart beats twice as fast as a human heart – 110 to 140 beats per minute.
  • A single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years. A perfect reason to ensure your cat is spayed/neutered!
  • Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours a day sleeping. With that in mind, a seven-year-old cat has only been awake for two years of its life!
  • Cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
  • Cats are lactose intolerant. Like most mammals, cats lose the ability to digest dairy after infancy. Feeding milk to a cat can encourage stomach upset and diarrhea.
  • All kittens are born with blue eyes. They begin to change color about two weeks after their eyes open.
  • When cats walk, their left front leg moves in tandem with their left back leg, and their right legs do the same. The only other animals that walk this way are giraffes and camels.
  • The oldest cat to have every lived was 38 years and 3 days old when he died. Créme Puff, born on August 3rd, 1967 lived until August 6th, 2005, and his owner Jake Perry also owned the previous oldest cat record holder, Grandpa Rex Allen, who died at the grand age of 34!
  • According to Ancient History Encyclopedia, Herodotus wrote in 440BC that when a pet cat died in Ancient Egyptian times the family members would shave off their eyebrows in mourning.
Article by Diana Clemente

Diana Clemente is President of the Black Car Assistance Corporation and Big Apple Car.

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