By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Dr. Jen wrote this biography in a bit of reverse order, because she felt that the astute observations of the cat care team paints a pretty accurate picture of darling Dove, a 4-year-old (born in the spring of 2014) who came to us quite suddenly in mid-July, 2018.
“Dove has been a complete surprise, as we all expected her to be a complete challenge after how she first acted at the clinic with Dr. Jen; she settled in almost immediately and is loving (free-roaming) shelter life. She has a soft coo that she elicits when she purrs, so Dove is the purr-fect name for her. She will swat occasionally when she gets overwhelmed, so I think it’s best that she is adopted into a home without small kids. She gets along great with the other cats so a feline roomie would be to her liking.”
“Dove has finally become more social and is tolerant when we pet her, although she does set the tone of the interaction. As a matter of fact, recently when I was petting her, even though I THINK she realized she liked it, she still slapped me. To me she acts like she may have lost some trust in humans. If I remember right, didn‘t her previous owner pass away, and then she was taken in by someone else who also had to leave her? If so, I guess it’s no wonder she’s not fully able to trust right now, but deep down I know there is a good girl in there looking for a new person to give her a home of her very own again. It would be nice to see her placed in a quiet one that will take the time (and be patient) to help her build up her confidence again, and knock down the wall she’s put up. I am a softie for dilute calicos and she is no exception, even though she may be a bit of a diva.”
It’s totally true: Dove HATED the mere sight of Dr. Jen that first day after our cat care director came to kitty’s aid and retrieved her, even though she literally walked right into the travel carrier. Although Dr. Jen took it very slow and easy with her, losing one owner, then being shuffled off to another only to lose that one within two months, had to have turned Dove’s delicate world completely upside-down. Dr. Jen was concerned that all of the TLC in the world wasn’t going to right what Dove perceived as wrongs, but once out of that clinical setting and into a laid-back space that allowed her room to adjust and acclimate, she showed us her sweet side — and hasn’t stopped since, even though she spices it up a bit.
Dr. Jen would love to see Dove in a home with a mature couple who have homebody tendencies as Dove would love nothing more than a lap to claim and a human who would stroke her fur and tell her how beautiful she is, eliciting that soft coo we have all come to know and love.
More about Dove:
- Extra Large
- Dilute Calico & Domestic Short Hair Mix
- Adult
- Female
- House-trained
- Vaccinations up to date
- Spayed
- Not declawed
- Good in a home with other cats; no children
Want to adopt Dove? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
