Snickers Open House interview with Marla

Hello Everyone:

Snicker here and I got to spend our August open house with so many great people. Thank you EVERYONE !!!  It was great to visit with Baron, Jill, Robin and so many others.

And, I got to interview two of our human visitors and a fellow blind cat visitor.

Welcome Katherine and Seth, and Marla.

Katherine:  Thank you, Snicker!

Seth:  Thank you, Snicker!

Snicker:   If I remember right, this is your 2^nd visit to us?

Katherine:   It sure is.  We came last summer for the first time.

Seth:   Right.  We came last year just for a short visit.  We love it here.  Especially meeting you, Snicker.  You’re a rock star!  We also loved meeting Riley and all the residents.  As we left, we knew we’d come back.

Snicker:   So how did you find us?

 Seth:  Marla gets to tell this story, but I found BCR before we adopted her.  I was looking for information and Alana was a huge help advising us on adopting and caring for what I call “a unique quality cat.” Alana told me “Marla is a cat, she just can’t see.” 

Katherine:  Like a lot of people, we had the total wrong idea about blind cats – that they were handicapped.  Alana set us straight and our visit to BCR just reinforced the truth, which is that blind cats are cats, they just can’t see!  That’s been true with Marla all along.  She’s amazing.

Snicker:   So Marla, welcome to BCR!  Nice to have a fellow BC as a visitor – especially one that lives with such cool humans!

Marla:   Thank you, Snicker.

Snicker:  So Marla, I believe that you are the first “outside” blind cat to visit us here.  I hear you came from Annapolis, Maryland.  That’s pretty far.  How do you like it so far?

Marla:   First, I want to say thanks to everyone for making a place for me to hang out while my humans visit you.  This is my first big trip and I’ve been all the way to Blowing Rock, NC!  My folks didn’t want me to be alone in a strange hotel (even though I always figure out what’s what in the rooms) so they brought me here.  Thanks for finding me such a comfortable place and for all the toys!  I heard LOTS of stuff going on.  Chance and Snicker greeted me and I figured out that there are some new arrivals in this room too.  I’ve only really been around one other cat, my adopted older sister Sophie, so I will admit that all the sounds and smells do have me a little nervous.

Snicker:  Where is Sophie?

Marla:  She stayed home with my other adopted brother, Gus.  Sophie went to Blowing Rock in June but she didn’t really enjoy the travel.  So, my folks decided I got to come on this trip to visit where mom’s parents live and then to here for a few days.  I loved roaming around the house and sitting by the screen door listening to the birds and smelling all the mountain air!

Snicker:  So how did you find your parents?

Marla:   I didn’t have such a good start in life.  I was sitting in a street in the rain and a car was coming toward me.  I didn’t feel good at all so I just sat there.  The nice lady rescued me and I ended up with a volunteer who worked with a rabbit rescue in Maryland.  It took them a while to figure out that I can’t see.  I had some really bad breathing problems and a runny nose.  But they made me feel better and I started thinking things might be ok.  My foster mom placed an ad in Petfinder.   Dad said he took one look at my picture and he was gone!   They came to meet me in town close by and a couple of weeks later, I moved to my house!  I am very happy now and I feel good, too.

  

Snicker:  How long have you been there?

Marla:   Three years now.

Snicker:  How are you and Sophie and Gus getting along?

Marla:   Well, Gus doesn’t come in the house, he has something called FIV and diabetes.  But he has his own little house in our garage and hangs out in our back yard.  He came when his owner, our neighbor, passed away.   Mom and Dad love him a lot.  He’s been an indoor-outdoor cat all his life.  Dad rearranged the garage to Gus can live in there, with a radio, bed, ac and even heat!  I hear that there’s a video camera so they can make sure he’s ok.  Sophie and I are still working on getting along.  She hisses at me a lot and sometimes it startles me so I jump to get at that sound.  This is my first real home and I want to be in charge so I’m adjusting to Sophie being the “bigger Sister.”  She’s still getting used to me, too. 

Snicker:  So, was Sophie alone before you were adopted?

Marla:   No.  I hear that she had a bigger brother and sister, but they both crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2010.  That made her very sad.  Mom and Dad, too.  She got to say goodbye to her brother, Rooney, who she loved a lot.  I think she’s still sad.

Snicker:  Sounds like things are working out pretty well, Marla!  I’m happy for all of you and I hope you’ll come back soon!  I’m glad you and your folks came to Open House!