A Wink From Olivia

This is my girl Olivia, or Libby-Lu. I used to be on the Board of Director for the Washington Area Humane Society in Eighty Four, PA, which is a no-kill shelter. Olivia had been at the shelter for so long that she had become their unofficial mascot and was allowed to roam freely throughout the Cat Castle. Whenever we would have board meetings, Olivia would come into the room and sit next to my chair, and I would pick her up and hold her. I think she is at least part Angora because I have never felt a coat so soft. Olivia would purr so loud when I petted her, I just couldn't believe nobody wanted her. Her sister Sophia had already been adopted.

Olivia was born with one eye deformed - or, the eye had not developed fully - so a vet had removed the eye and sewed her lid shut. I grew to love her so much that I promised her that if she was still at the shelter when I moved into my new house, I would come and get her. As it happened, I adopted her the day after I moved, in September 2003. She was 2 years old at that time and just had her 8th birthday.

Olivia is very shy around my other cats. I've found having a lot of cats is like having a kindergarten class - some are bullies, some are shy, some are outgoing and friendly, etc. Olivia is terrified of my more aggressive cats, so she stays in the spare bedroom most of the time. When my beloved tuxedo cat, Boots, was sick, I had to quarantine him for the last couple years of his life (not because of contagious disease but because he had chronic diarrhea), and Libby became his companion cat. She kept him company and hung out with him on the day bed, and she never seemed to mind being cooped up in the spare bedroom. After Boots passed away, I opened the door to the room but she seemed to prefer to stay in there by herself. I know she misses Boots.

Olivia likes the little igloo bed, and sometimes will venture out to sleep with me under the covers. When she does this she purrs literally all night long. She is a very sweet girl and just incredibly soft. She absoluely LOVES belly rubs, which is pretty unusual for a cat. All I have to say is "Does Libby want a belly rub?" and she will roll over on her back and stretch her legs out in both directions so I can give her a good, brisk belly rub all the way from front legs to back legs.

Having one eye didn't deter Libby from exploring her new house - here she is walking along the top of my library door, which is about 2 inches wide.