The Joy of Gucci (the Cat)

I could have called her “Joy” and would have meant it.  But, after a month of getting to know her, we named her Gucci and it’s very fitting.  Gucci is fearless and happy and our cat sitter says she has “cattitude.”  She’s the newest member of our family and she’s given us great joy at the time we needed it most.

We lost a member of our feline family, Oreo, unexpectedly in July.  It was an untimely and devastating death caused by congestive heart failure.  We are still mourning the loss of this beautiful cat who we found starving in St. Helena many years ago.

In our grief, we were determined to make a difference…and maybe even find some respite by giving a home to a cat in need. We’ve adopted from SVPP three other times – and rescue has changed our lives.  We discovered that giving a home to a homeless pet is both life-affirming and soulful.

Misty (now Gucci) was in her fifth SVPP foster home through no fault of her own – changing or emergency circumstances encountered by families who were generous enough to take her in while SVPP worked to find her a permanent home.  Her fifth foster was getting ready to travel for more than three months.  We met her and couldn’t bear to think that she might be in transit again.  

We brought Misty into our home — where we’ve had Lefty since 2014.  It took a full month to acclimate the two, who we kept separate most of that time with a door or baby gate.  We desperately needed them to get along since our gentle, warm and loving tabby (Lefty) experienced a lot of friction with Oreo.  After many treats, slow introductions, patience and supervision, the cats became friends.  Although we hear an occasional yelp when they get too energetic, they hang out together, chase each other around the house, sunbathe in our catio, compete for treats, and play with the same toys.  

The joy we’re experiencing is profound…from being able to provide a loving home for Gucci and celebrating her friendship with Lefty, to seeing how happy she is here — and with us.  If you meet Gucci, you would never know she had been dropped off at the shelter, abandoned and homeless with kittens, unwanted and unloved.  She is not that cat now. 

We are grateful to SVPP for bringing Gucci and Lefty into our lives. We hope that in this season of giving, you will consider donating here so that SVPP can saving continue this life-saving work while bringing great joy to families like ours.

Karen Zamel is the proud owner of Gucci, a long-time SVPP volunteer and a member of the communications team.