We adopted Ivan the Terrible from Happy Tails in 2005 to keep our other rescue kitty company while we were at work. We never knew that Phantom was lonely until the summer after he found us (Phantom showed up in the winter of 2004 on the porch, crying, shivering and half-starved. So he stayed, and now he is a spoiled rotten boy). We would leave the windows open while we were at work all day, so that Phantom could lay in the sill and watch his birds and “chatter” at them; his fav past time. My neighbors caught me coming home from work one day, and said that Phantom lay in the window all day, just crying and yowling. We decided that he was lonely. So off we went to Happy Tails – actually off I went to Happy Tails. Our son was a baby and he stayed home w/ his dad. When I went into the cat room, I saw a small, black cat with a VERY short tail – HANGING from the grates at the front of his cage….staring at me. I immediately went to him and opened the cage door – he actually never even got down! He swung right out, over the floor, hanging onto that door with all his might. Gently prying him off the door, he turned into my shoulder and started chewing on my hair and batting at it. I was smitten…but knew he had to pass the husband test. The shelter worker told me that this little bundle of love had been left to die by his previous owner in a cat carrier in a field – and was only alive because someone heard his pitiful meows and came to investigate. Whoever found him – a 1,000 times, thank you!!!! Whoever left him to die – may you get what you deserve.

Home I went, switched places with my husband, and he went to meet the little black ball of fur. He called me and said “Are you SURE you want this cat? He’s crazy and won’t stop chewing on my beard,”. So home he came, because he had SPIRIT. Phantom wasn’t too fond of him initially, but quickly adjusted.

Our new kitty still didn’t have a name, and we didn’t know what to make of his tail and the fact that his rear end sits higher than his shoulders. He bounced like a bunny on these HUGE back feet, seemed very smart, and would NOT let me out of his sight. After he was identified by a friend, we started reading about Manx cats. He fit all standards and was just a love. After he shredded the 3rd shower curtain, had to be rescued from the tops of the curtain rods that he climbed 10 times, and attacked my hair while I slept 100 times, I came up with the perfect moniker for him – Ivan the Terrible.

The best part is that after he was fixed, he mellowed out. Not only did he calm down and quit trying to shred the world, he also became a puppy in a cat suit. He waits at the door for me after work, he sits on the toilet lid while I shower, and knows that door handles will open doors and tries mighty hard to gain access to wherever I am. Ivan is the best animal I have ever had, and he thinks I hung the moon. He will tolerate other people touching him, but only I am permitted to pick him up. He LOVES me – rubs on my face with his, “hugs” me with a leg on each of my shoulders, and just purrrrrrrrrrs. When I sit on the couch, he is next to me with a paw on my arm or leg to make sure he is alerted to my every move.

I adore him. He is my sweetie J

Thank you so much for taking him in