Trudie/Ivy

On August 2, 2022, a six-week-old grey tabby arrived at the BC SPCA Alberni-Clayoquot Community Animal Centre by way of the City of Port Alberni Animal Control. Little Trudie was covered in wounds, infection, parasites and fleas and she was likely feral. We will never know what happened to her momma or any siblings she may have had, but this little survivor was lucky to have been rescued.

She went into foster care while we restored her to a healthy enough status to be available to go to a new home. Her cuteness and a couple of coincidences made her just the right fit for a couple who went to some lengths to make Trudie a thriving member of their loving household. Here is Trudie’s story from her new guardians:

“At the end of October 2022, I noticed on the BC SPCA website a cute photo of a grey and white four-month-old kitten who caught my eye. Not only did the darling photo of her laying on her back with her four paws sticking straight up in the air make me take a second look, but her name did as well, as it was the same as mine.

“Trudie,” as she was listed on the website, was found alone and in quite rough shape, at less than two months of age. She was picked up by a good Samaritan on the side of Gertrude Street in Port Alberni (my grandmother’s name was Gertrude) and taken to the BC SPCA Alberni-Clayoquot.

With the two coincidences in the names, not to mention that cute photo of her laying on her back, we felt like this kitten joining our household was “meant to be” and we just had to meet her.

We filled in the BC SPCA on-line adoption form and told them a little bit about ourselves, and our application was approved. We were told that we could come and meet Trudie the following week after she had her spay, tattooing and microchipping procedures done.

We drove the two and a half hours up to Port Alberni on October 25 and it was love at first sight, although I’m not sure that Trudie felt the same way about my husband and me as we did about her at this point!

And certainly not after she was put in a cat carrier for the long drive, and then the half-hour ferry ride to get to her new home. Once here she was shut in a quiet spare bedroom with two cat condos, several pet beds, lots of cozy blankets, umpteen toys, food, water and a litter box.

For the first couple of weeks she was really struggling to adjust to her new environment and she hid under the bed a lot of the time and lashed out at us. We were very patient with her and took turns going into the bedroom every hour throughout the day and sitting on the bed and talking softly to her (while she was still under it!).

My husband even slept in the room with her for the first two months just to keep her company. Eventually Trudie came to realize that we weren’t that bad after all and came out for pets, play time and snuggles.

Now after having her here for three months she is a joy. She LOVES laying in front of the roaring fireplace, sitting on a cat condo in the living room and looking out the window at the birds, not to mention playing with her toys that she literally leaves all over the house!

Trudie knows she gets some wet kitten food for breakfast and for dinner (and dry kitten food the rest of the time) so heaven forbid if you go in to the kitchen and stand at the counter in the morning or in the evening, as she lies at your feet and looks up at you like she is starving, and just patiently waits to be fed!

I repeatedly tell Trudie (now named Ivy) how lucky she is, but in reality it is we who are the lucky ones. Thank you BC SPCA Alberni-Clayoquot.

Thank you for going the distance for this tiny tyke. You have turned her life around from what it would have been in the wild. We are so gratified when people make adoption their first option. We hope you enjoy many more happy years together.

Have you adopted an animal from the BC SPCA and want to share your joy with others? Submit your adoption story!