Ollie Finds His Family

By Elliott Enzo, Ollie's Adopter

At just 3 months old, Ollie and his litter mate were brought to Animal Friends after they had accidentally been caught in a humane raccoon trap. Since he hadn’t experienced human interaction and was extremely shy and fearful, Ollie went to spend some time in a foster home where he would learn to trust people. After 6 months of a lot of love and socialization in the foster home, Ollie returned to Animal Friends in search of a very special family who would be patient and understanding of his needs. And, then, well we’ll let his adopter Elliott take it from here.

“To understand why I adopted Ollie, you must first know about my other cat, Blinkn who was 3 months old when I adopted her. She was nearly feral and her skittish nature had made it difficult for her to connect with potential adopters. When I first met her, I sat back and waited. Miraculously, she slowly approached me, put both front paws on my chest and meowed. Right then, I knew that I’d be the one to give her the home she needed.

“It took time and patience for Blinkn to grow to trust me, but slowly and surely over the years her bravery and confidence grew. Blinkn grew up with another friendly and outgoing cat in the apartment and it wasn’t until after he left us that I noticed how much she had benefited from his presence. Once he was gone, I knew I had to find a friend for her.



“I visited Animal Friends and explained my situation to an Adoption Counselor. I was looking for the same connection I had made with Blinkn 7 years earlier. We walked past a room where three cats were sharing a space – Ollie was one of them. Our eyes met – and just as Blinkn had reached out and put her paws on me – I felt that same connection with Ollie.

“I spent some time in the room, I knew Ollie was very fearful so I just hung out and softly talked to him for a while. I noticed that one of the other cats in the room was very nurturing to Ollie and also friendly toward me. I was able to pet her and Ollie cautiously followed her lead. Astonishingly, Ollie began to purr as I petted him. I knew that Ollie would be the perfect companion for me and Blinkn – and just as importantly, we were the right family for him.

“Ollie came home with me the next day. I was pleased to see him respect Blinkn’s boundaries and noticed that he was comforted by her presence. Now, they play together, sleep together, share nuzzles and Ollie will even touch noses with me. We’ve bonded as a family and it’s clear that Ollie is happy here. Just as importantly, Blinkn has benefited from having another cat in the house again. I’m so grateful to Animal Friends for helping to bring the three of us together.”

At Animal Friends, every day is full of compassion. Visit ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org/31Days to turn your compassion into action. After all, it only takes one day to improve a life.