Guest Blogger: Katie Tontala

I have been fostering Myrtle for about a month now and we are making nice progress.  She is spending less time in her bed and I often find her sitting in her crate and checking out the antics of my other cats.

I have been trying to find a way to find other ways to get her engaged and finally hit the jackpot…Myrtle is secretly a girly girl and loves to be combed!  Now when I enter her space, she comes to me-not always looking for treats, but waiting for me to grab the comb so she can brush her face.  She then pirouettes around so I can brush her little bum too! She is so cute!

We had a very nice Christmas.  I felt kind of sad that she wasn’t ready to celebrate the festivities with us downstairs, so I brought the festivities to her.  I decorated her space with garland and bows and made sure that Santa filled her stocking with goodies and treats.  And of course she got extra tuna!

Our plan for the next week is to see if she is ready to venture out of her crate.  I will continue to use positive reinforcement techniques to show her that being outside her crate is not a scary thing. We will take things slowly and go at her own comfort level. 

On a closing note, of all the wonderful blessings I received this holiday season, I have to say that Myrtle gave me the best present ever.  A few days ago, she waddled over to me, and as I was scratching her little head, I heard it….Myrtle gave me a little purr.  It was sweeter than any holiday music and brought tears to my eyes.  It has been a hard journey for her thus far and she has worked so hard to overcome her fears.  She is such a brave little girl.

While our bi-weekly series of blogs has ended, Myrtle’s journey continues! We will keep Myrtle’s fans up-to-date on her and let you all know when she finds her forever home.  A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to the care and keeping of this special little cat. Go Team Myrtle!