A month ago someone decided that not only was I the Balloon Juice backup food goddess, but that I’m also the back up crazy cat lady too! I’m not sure if we’re breaking glass ceilings with this or erecting new ones. Anyhow, one of the cats that need some assistance was named Grace. Momsense emailed me and asked if I’d put a bleg up asking if someone would adopt her. And very quickly along came a commenter using the name Black Onion. Yesterday he emailed and asked if I’d post an update about how Grace is getting on.
It’s been one month since I took Grace in after her owner passed away. Momsense and I met for the hand off, which went smoothly. She was very kind, and I was happy to help. Grace was affectionate from the moment we met. I had concerns that Jose (the black cat) might not take kindly to a new roommate since his sister Chloe passed away 4 years ago. I kept Grace in the bedroom for two weeks with her own food, water and litter box. She hid nonetheless, mostly under the bed. She was very jumpy, as this was a new space and new humans to be around. Eventually she would not scamper away when I stood up, or entered the room.
A few times a week I would swap them out so they would get used to each other’s scents. I let them meet for 10 minutes at a time until I was able to be home a weekend so I could open the doors wide and let them mingle with me nearby. There was a little hissing a few times, but that was just fear. Only once did they get into a tussle, and stopped at my raised voice. Now they have cleaned each other and share the same food and water without much incident.
Over the course of the month she has become the most loving and affectionate cat I have ever met. She will grab my hand with her claw, and pull my hand over to pet her. She’ll bite my finger, but never break the skin. Just to grab onto it and pull. She is such a beautiful and sweet cat, and I am so lucky to have her, as terrible as the circumstances were. I’m glad I saw the post about her and offered. She’s made my life better. Hopefully hers is okay too.
And where would we be without some pictures of Grace, not at Balloon Juice that’s for sure! So here they are. Several will be after the jump. Black Onion was worried he’d sent to many. I told him in my reply email:
Dude, it’s Balloon Juice, there’s no such thing as too many pet pictures. I’m sure if someone sent one of us a bunch of pictures of their pet Komodo dragon and we posted it, we’d get 200 hundred comments exclaiming what an exceptionally good killing machine that pet is.
For those who want to keep up with Grace’s and Jose’s adventures, here’s the link to Black Onion’s Tumblr account.
Open thread!
Lapassionara
Thank you, Adam. What a lovely story.
debbie
Such a face! ?
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
Thanks, Black Onion, for taking Grace in. She’s clearly both happy and welcomed in her new home. MomSense is an angel among us for bringing you together, as well as for her friendship with her late neighbor.
And thank you Adam for improving my week with this post. We love pet pictures!
Betty
Sweet kitty. So happy for her and her new family.
Kristine
Such pretty eyes.
Thanks, Black Onion, for giving Gracie a home.
dexwood
Damn! Those eyes. Beautiful girl. Great story. Grace is grateful. Good job all around.
Sandia Blanca
Hooray for Grace, for Black Onion, for MomSense, and for Adam the emergency backup crazy cat lady!
Mohagan
Grace is a really pretty cat. Those green eyes are wonderful. Thank you both so much for the update and post!
Mary G
Oh, thank you, Black Onion. It’s always so heartening to see a pet bleg have a happy ending! The more pictures the better. I’m glad that she and Jose are getting along. Two of my four cats in my lifetime have done the tapping of my hand with a paw to order pets RIGHT NAOW!.
ThresherK
Nice to see the cat in residence being friendly with the addition.
Sweet Grace-face too.
Joy in FL
I am so happy for Grace and her new family. Adam is absolutely correct: there is no such thing as too many pet pictures.
MazeDancer
What good and sweet news! Yay, Black Onion. And Momsense. And Adam.
Wouldn’t have minded more pics…
khead
Wonderful story.
Amir Khalid
So good to see Grace settled in at Black Onion’s and getting along so well with Jose. I agree about her lovely green eyes.
Miss Bianca
Aww, da cuteness, and where is that Komodo dragon i was hearing about?//
jl
Thnx for catpix. Very cute. Very nice.
And I thought Adam was the new BJ crazy food lady and the BJ cat goddess. I stand corrected.
mad citizen
There’s no people like jackals people.
Aleta
Beautiful. She looks so happy. A secure happy animal is such a beautiful sight. Thanks to B. Onion and Momsense and Adam.
TaMara (HFG)
I love a happy ending.
Tinare
So sweet. She and Jose seem like a comfortable couple in the pictures.
TaMara (HFG)
Geez, you go for a couple of years without posting a recipe and everyone wants to give the tiara to the tall guy.
jl
@TaMara (HFG): Just because Adam is the BJ crazy food lady doesn’t mean that you are not still the BJ distinguished food columnist.
kindness
Cute! You’re good people.
zhena gogolia
So lovely! Glad I checked BJ before turning in.
Yutsano
KITTEHS!!!!
Way OT: I just love the British Speaker of the House John Bercow.
EDIT: Especially his ties. It’s a lot like Don Cherry.
Steve in the ATL
@jl: BJ distinguished food columnist emeritus
susanna
Love these, thanks all!
WaterGirl
@jl: TaMara is our resident food goddess!
WaterGirl
Grace is so beautiful. Thank you Black Onion for taking her and MomSense for your devotion to both Grace and your good friend. Happy ending all around. (and no massage parlors involved)
Barbara
What a pretty kitty. So happy she had a soft landing.
WaterGirl
@Steve in the ATL:
You take that back! Right now!
Gin & Tonic
@TaMara (HFG): I know a place in Florida….
Suzanne
Grace is beautiful and it has been a crazy day and I definitely needed the pick-me-up! Thank you to all of the great hoomanz involved.
Adam L Silverman
@Sandia Blanca: It’s a living…
Black_Onion
@Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho: @Kristine: Super happy to have her, even with the copious amounts of fur she sheds. I never realized how many black clothes I owned until now.
rikyrah
I am glad that she found a home???
She looks??
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: And the police have you on surveillance there…//
Tenar Arha
Wow, those eyes Grace! (& Jose too)
Speaking of Komodo dragons, could we do a not-cat & not-dog pet post sometime soon? I know Ta-Mara has the ducks, who else has birds? Fish? Lizards? Turtles? Hamsters? Bunnies?
(I’m a sucker for vicarious pets. & I’m betting I’m not alone ?)
J R in WV
Thanks to everyone involved in saving poor Grace, who I’m sure still wonders a little bit where her nice owner went off to, and why without Grace. Never too many pictures of sweet furbabies!!
Black Onion, please do participate in Balloon-Juice going forward, we need all the kind and compassionate cat lovers we can get! AT least once in a while to let us know how Grace is doing… such a sweet kitty! Thanks again for saving her!!
Black_Onion
@Joy in FL: I had twenty lined up – I posted them on my tumblr instead. I have never taken so many cat photos before. Grace is such a sweetie.
Mnemosyne
I’m in a crappy mood tonight, so this helped. Thank you.
Black Onion, don’t worry too much if the kitties rassle around without making any noise — that’s how to know they’re just playing. If you hear hissing or growling, then try to break them up before any pouncing occurs. We can usually break Charlotte’s attention with a sharp sound like a hand clap so Annie can dart away.
Adam L Silverman
@Tenar Arha: BettyC posted a pic of her gator the other day.
jeffreyw
Grace should have Luckykitteh as a Twitter handle. I remember Black Onions, we wore them on our belts in the day. Congrats!
Jay
“Most animals want to hide while at the vet — but this little lamb is quite literally jumping for joy.
Ursula is not a permanent resident at Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center in Texas; rather, she is an employee’s foster there. And she’s become so enamored by the staff there that she literally breaks out into dance when they’re around.”
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.thedodo.com/amphtml/on-the-farm/lamb-dance-vet-video-cute
Black_Onion
@Mary G: Jose did have a sister Chloe, so he is used to another female around. I just always worry about indoor only cats, if they don’t get along…
Here is Chloe, 4 years gone: http://black-onion.tumblr.com/post/183529907953/chloe
Mnemosyne
Did Anne Laurie see the Papillon who won the small dog agility race at Westminster? Dang!
https://youtu.be/qFNurioWZZY
Comrade Colette Collaboratrice
@Tenar Arha: We have a tortoise named Tank. He sometimes clambers UNDER a cat to stay warm. Weirdly, both parties seem fine with this arrangement. I’ll try to send pix.
CaseyL
Adam the Honorary Crazy Cat Lady: I love it!
Also love Grace’s eyes.
Thanks to all who gave this story a happy ending!
Black_Onion
@WaterGirl: I was going to make that joke, but maybe more as a dig a Robert Kraft. Grace is every bit as cute and cuddly as she seems.
Black_Onion
@J R in WV: It’s hard enough to read all the posts and try and delve into the comments. So many people here and the comment threads fill up so fast it’s hard to keep up. If there was some way to know when a comment was responded to it would help people like me. There seem to be a lot of good folks on here.
Black_Onion
@Mnemosyne: There hes been one noisy tussle that lasted 10 seconds until they heard my dad voice. The same dad voice that got my child and wife’s attention on long road trips. The slow introduction seemed to help. I can count on on hand the times they have hissed at each other.
Black_Onion
@Steve in the ATL: Maybe I am not watching enough Food Channel, but what exactly is ‘distinguished food?’
TomatoQueen
@Black_Onion: So glad Grace and Jose have become friends and companions. Thank you for opening your home to Grace and sharing Chloe too. Well done to the great chain of rescue.
MomSense
I’m in tears all over again seeing these photos again. Blackonion you are wonderful.
MomSense
When Blackonion says Grace uses her claw to take his hand, he means it. She has claws to rival Steve!
Black_Onion
@MomSense: I did the easy part. She’s a delight and has made a difference in my life already. I blame John Cole for making the community. I’m glad I got first dibs. She’s like a light therapy box for the soul.
Black_Onion
@TomatoQueen: I am so lucky to have her!
MomSense
@Black_Onion:
????
Redshift
Aww!
different-church-lady
Breaking glass floors.
Tenar Arha
@Comrade Colette Collaboratrice: Aww
Sab
Somebody feline is very comfortable that she lets you take all of those photos. Jose is also gorgeous although black cats not so photogenic. Just get to be gorgeous at home where he can be seen in person.
Johannes
@Black_Onion: Congrats! What a lovely girl she is—and how handsome Jose is! (I’ve always had an affinity for black cats!)
Rileys Enabler
Love this story. Thank you to all the Jackals that made this happen, for giving sweet Grace this awesome new life. So dear. I definitely needed this ray of sunshine.
Mike in Oly
What a great way to start the day – with a happy cat story! Thanks so much for the cute pics and happy ending to a sad situation.
sam
Grace is beautiful, and I am NOT just saying that because I’m fairly certain she is my Sadie’s identical twin (it’s a little freaky actually) https://www.instagram.com/p/BmA7Me5lKMB/
karen marie
@Joy in FL: I know, right? I get very crabby when a post goes up with only one! This was very satisfying to see a bunch of pictures of Gracie and her new friend Jose. They are lovely and sweet, as is Black Onion for taking Gracie in and sharing a follow-up.
I think every post, regardless of subject, should have at least three pet pictures.
karen marie
@Black_Onion: Have you tried a Furminator? They take out amazing amounts of fur! My Gracie won’t tolerate a lot of brushing but a swipe with the furminator here and there does wonders.
tam1MI
It’s impossible to look at those beautiful kitties and not smile!
ellie
So pretty!
KrakenJack
Well-done Black Onion and MomSense. It’s been a good antidote to the toxic news.
I’m in the vicarious kitty appreciation club. Had them growing up, but realized after I left home that I’m allergic. Now I’m limited to a little chin scratching followed by vigorous hand washing.