by Paula Hunsaker
Feral Paws Rescue Group in Fresno shares with us some of their animal rescue adventures every month. Check out KRL’s article about Feral Paws to learn more about them.
Wednesday was rescued from CCSPCA, a high-kill shelter, with her sibling. I was at the shelter at the right time when Wednesday and her sibling were surrendered to the shelter at one month old after their mom was killed by a car, stated by the person that was surrendering them to the shelter.
After the person was leaving the shelter. I asked the staff what is going to happen to these babies? I was told they were going to go back to be put down. They explained they are too young and needed to be bottle fed, and they just did not have any open fosters and moms at the shelter that could nurse them. I then looked at them laying in the box crying, and thinking…can my rescue pull them? I was told by rescue staff, of course, you can. So, we pulled these two little black kitties. After pulling them, I took them to our vet to be checked out in case of any issues they might have. The vet tech at our vet office asked to foster them and bottle feed them both. Of course, I gave them to the vet tech to care for them. She said she would keep me updated on how they were doing.
Wednesday
Once they got to the age of four months, the vet tech asked to keep one of the kittens. She said she would have kept both, but Wednesday just would not bond with her, stating that Wednesday would not adapt at all to her home. So, she wanted to give Wednesday back to the rescue. Once Wednesday was back at the rescue she began to bond with my mom. She did not want any other human contact, just my mom. If anyone else would pick her up she would bite and claw them to put her down.
Wednesday is so cute with her big brown eyes and fat little face. After months of this going on with Wednesday and not allowing others to pick her up, my mom made the choice she was going to keep Wednesday. She then became a house kitty, deciding to only lay on my mom’s lap and accepting food from only her. She would not eat food given to her by others. She would not lay on anyone else’s lap, and she did not want to be touched by any other human. 
Wednesday is now going on three years old and nothing has changed in her ways towards others. Wednesday walks around like a stuck-up girl. With her nose up high like she is better than any other kitties at the rescue. She is one of the most beautiful black kitties. Her fur is so shiny and soft. Now over time Wednesday sleeps at night with my mom and goes out to play at the rescue during the day running up trees and rolling in the grass. She comes in every night when my mom calls her to come in at nighttime. All she does is call out “Where is my baby girl?” and she comes running to my mom’s arms.
Wednesday has never really bonded with other kitties at the rescue that are here as forever kitties that walk freely at the rescue. If she plays with another kitty, she is so rough, and they move away from her. The bond she made with my mom is real love and something special about that bond between them that no one else can have with Wednesday.
We have noticed at the rescue so many people that come to adopt a kitty in watching the interaction, and noticing that it is the kitty that picks them. They think they picked the kitty but that’s just not what truly happens. Just like Wednesday and my mom, it was Wednesday that picked my mom and not my mom picking her. Cats are smart little creatures and know what they want in a family. I believe in my heart when they choose someone for their family it’s for life and there is something special in the human they pick that we don’t understand, but they know what is best for them and what they are looking for. When I tell others who come out to adopt a kitty for their home, they look at me like I am crazy when I tell them go in the adoption area and meet all the kitties and the one for you will be picked by the kitties…just watch…you won’t be the one picking the one for you. They will make that choice for you. I have seen this over and over during adoptions. But by the time the adopter leaves with a kitty, they understand what I was saying because their new little love picked them!
Memorable Note of Sadness…
On September 21, 2020, our rescue sadly lost a board member, transporter, Head of Maintenance at our rescue, and who also picked up our monthly cat food donations. He would oversee all our volunteers and help with adoption events. He traveled to Los Angeles, Coalinga, Tulare, and Madera shelters to pick up kitties we had pulled and needed transport to our main rescue. He put so much time planning all of our large kennels that he built with love. Even during his last months on this earth, he kept doing what he could to help while he was fighting stage 4 cancer.
My heart is heavy to say that this amazing loving person was my brother Bobby Hunsaker. He was in the hospital for over a month, and it was so hard knowing that we couldn’t visit him other than through phone calls. He always called me everyday and night thinking of things he wanted to do at the rescue for the kitties. He never gave up hope that he would get better. Eventually he came home from the hospital to be with family because there was nothing else that could be done. Bobby will be so missed by so many. He was a person that would stop and help anyone – even if he didn’t know them. I know he will always be looking down on our little rescue and watching over our kitties. My heart is heavy and will need time to heal, but as I look around at all he has done, I thank him dearly for the love he gave to us and the kitties. We are #BobbyStrong!
Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every other month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.
I am so sorry you lost Bobby. My goodness he was such a hero to your rescue. To Bobby in Heaven, thank you for making the lives of the cats and kittsn, puppies and gos so much better.
wendesday You certainly are a character. I am glad you have a Mom of your own to love.