Uno Lost Her Purr

Did you know that animals grieve? Here at Tyson’s Place, our rescue’s mission is to assist terminally ill people with finding new families for their pets, including after an owner has passed away. We don’t have a facility, so we rely on volunteers to temporarily house the animals until adopted. We move dogs and cats right into foster homes where they can be in a home environment with people prepared to love them. The most essential thing we can do for animals grieving the loss of their home, their owner, and everything familiar is to give them time and grace for any behavioral issues. Just like people, animals all grieve differently. Cats especially take a lot of time to acclimate to change.

Uno arrived at our rescue back in March. We picked her up directly from her home, a place she hadn’t left in her entire one year of life, after her owner passed away. Even the ride in a carrier in the car was overwhelming. She hid a lot those first few months, creeping out when she felt safe and dashing to hide whenever a new noise startled her. Gradually, with time and space, she began to acclimate to her new life and even started to sit on our laps. The odd thing was although she would knead her paws and act happy, she never made a noise. No purring! Medical issues can cause a cat to stop purring, but Uno, like all of our adoptable animals, had a thorough veterinary exam. We think that the changes in her life, including the loss of her owner, led her to the loss of her purr. Recently, a full six months after we began fostering her, Uno was sitting on my husband’s lap when he said listen, she’s purring! Sure enough, Uno was quietly purring, finally comfortable and happy enough to get her purr back.

Do you have the time, love, patience, and space to help a mourning cat? We are always looking for more foster homes – we provide the vet care and supplies, you provide the love and care until the animal is adopted. Applications are available here: Be A Foster Parent – Tyson’s Place Animal Rescue (tysonsplacerescue.org)

Uno is available for adoption! For more information on Uno: Cat for adoption – Uno, a Tiger & Domestic Short Hair Mix in Holland, MI | Petfinder