The power of the press has proved itself once again by getting my foster kitten, Julius, who was featured in last week’s column, into a fabulous home! The afternoon the column was published, the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter received an application for him, and a meet-and-greet was set up for the next day. The story of his rough start was enough to tug on the heartstrings of a local family, and he is now lighting up the lives of the Triantos family, including their dog and two adult cats.

As if he somehow intuited that Tuesday would be his last night in my house, he made every effort to make sure that his stay was memorable. Although I have certainly experienced my share of cats and kittens finding places to hide and getting into things they shouldn’t, he is a master.

As I went to sit down to dinner that evening, I realized I needed something else in the kitchen and returned to retrieve it. When I walked in, I heard the rattling of what sounded like glass bowls being knocked around. I immediately suspected there was a cat in my cabinet and that Julius was the most likely suspect. I bent down, opened the cabinet doors and found nothing. The odd thing was, I could still hear the rattling – and this time, in my stooped position, it seemed to be coming from right in front of my face. The only thing there was a shallow drawer, the type used for things like silverware. I opened the one in front of me, which did in fact hold small ramekins used for cooking preparation. Opening the drawer was more of a reflex to the sounds, as it really never occurred to me that it could actually be the source of the noise.

I should point out here that Julius is no longer a tiny kitten; he’s about 16 weeks old and weighs at least 6 pounds. The drawer was also pretty full and, more importantly, the drawers are self-closing. I’m sure you can see where this is going … the boy had himself all the way in the back of the closed drawer, wedged in among the bowls. I don’t know how he got himself in there, but I can tell you that getting him out was a bit of a challenge.

Once freed, the excitement over, my family and I returned to our now cold dinner. Julius, however, wasn’t fazed in the least by his entrapment in the drawer and, once we went back to the dining room, he went on to his next caper. Upon return to the kitchen, we found that he had gotten into the grocery bag containing the packaging from the chicken. He had the handle of the Shoprite bag stuck over his head and around one leg. The shredded cling wrap, absorbent padding and Styrofoam were generously disbursed throughout the kitchen and living area. Fosters, I love to see them come … I love to see them go!

Late the next afternoon, he was at the shelter to meet his new mom. Most cats would be a little freaked out by the car ride, the new surroundings and being among strangers, but not that little guy. He was cool as a cucumber. Later that night, we got an email from his new family. Julius had settled in quickly, taken over the house and kicked the dog out of his spot next to dad on the sofa. Fortunately, by the next day, he and the dog were sharing the coveted position on the couch and it sounds as though his orneriness is making life very interesting in the Triantos household. Life is good.

Source: South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter desperate plea answered: Julius has a home!