After a seven-month holiday touring Panama, Qelsey and Lucas brought home an unexpected furry souvenir! As Qelsey was packing to fly home, Lucas returned from an errand carrying a dirty, starving, flea ridden five-day-old kitten he’d found in a street gutter. He searched for the mother cat but she was
nowhere in sight.
The couple immediately went to work cleaning up the kitten, took it to a veterinarian and began bottle feeding it. The young feline had to be hand fed and have its body functions attended to keep it alive.
Because the “foundling” had weak legs she kept bumping into the walls as she was learning to walk. The couple named her Einstein hoping she would grow into her name! Over the next few weeks, the kitten grew
stronger and transformed into an exquisitely marked Maine Coon cat.
They had “issues” when they flew back home. The kitten was not allowed to fly in the passengers’ cabin, so intelligent Qelsey registered Einstein as an Emotional Support Animal and soon they were homeward bound.
The only other “slight” issue with her was quickly overcome when it came time to spay their exotic looking cat. The vet advised them to have it
“neutered”, instead of spayed, because “she” was apparently a “he”!
Their now year-old cat is already 15 pounds and still growing into, “the biggest cuddly cat,” said Qelsey. “He is also muscular from exercising on his home gym, but the only weights he lifts are his catnip toys. Today, he is ten times the size he was when Lucas found him. Whenever we return home, Einstein runs and greets us at the door. He is more dog than cat!”
The
outdoors is the cat’s jogging track, so paws-ibly that is why I met them on a hiking trail! Einstein is leash trained. He loves exploring the forest. It was unusual, but fun, seeing a cat on a dog-and-horse trail!
Einstein has walked on a leash since he was a feline toddler. He used to follow his human parents on their strolls around the neighborhood, so adding a leash to the walk added to his safety.
As dog owners spot the striped cat, they
respectfully attach leashes; and everyone goes happily on their way without any bark, hiss or fuss.
At home, imagine this cat entertaining his family when he releases his wild side spontaneously jumping like a kangaroo and pouncing on flowers! Or, out of the blue, he begins his version of “crazy cat play” sporadically leaping up and racing around the house.
“In contrast to his powerful athletic abilities, after his stretches,
Einstein lays on top of his tall climbing post and illustrates his lazy side,” said Qelsey. “He can lie there without lifting his head or a whisker and can see what is going on around him!”
Animals’ great-full hearts are amazing. Not only is Einstein happy to be the couple’s “only child” he is connected to them as if they are his biological parents. “I’ve always treated him like a baby” said Qelsey, “so he thinks he is human! He melts my heart.
He thinks that we helped him by rescuing him from a life of starvation and danger, but he's done more to improve our lives and bring us pure joy!”
