Dear Elsie Fallulah,
The big day is finally here! I can't believe that today you will turn six years old! I will never forget the first time I saw you...all 13 ounces of you. You were so afraid, sick and sad...your mama cat had been taken away and "dumped" and you were left to die. The kids of the awful person that took your mama away showed some mercy...but they were ignorant of what to do. So they put you in a shoe box and taped down the lid and kept you for a week...trying to feed you cow's milk with a turkey baster every couple of days. When our vet heard of the situation, he asked if I could go get you...the photo above was taken the first time I met you...you were sick, tired...and covered in dried milk that got all over you when they tried to feed you. The moment I saw you, little sister, I knew you were supposed to be my best friend.
Sweet Elsie, you have taught me so much in the last six years...you've taught me how to be brave even in times of great fear and worry...how to stand my ground and defend myself when I am not treated fairly. You've shown me that it's okay to feel sad...'cause some times you need to feel it in order to get to the other side. You've shown such confidence and wisdom, little girl...I only wish I could be as strong as you.
I know lots of people think we are "silly" about reaching out to your Anderson Cooper in such a big and obvious way...but...in all honesty, you really do respond to him when he is on camera...it kind of freaks me out, Elsie. The real reason, though, we want to reach out to your Anderson Cooper is to call attention to all the overlooked homeless animals...the throw-away cats that suffer every day. What if you had not been rescued? I would've never met my very best friend. So, I hope through Operation Birthday Wish we might cause others to think twice when they see a stray cat or dog...maybe they will try to help it and meet the best friend of their life.
Mr. Anderson Cooper, I hope you haven't been too inconvenienced by all of our wonderful friends and fans...it's just that we all want to see the underdog win...during a time when all of the news is bad, well, we want to hear something that gives us hope and inspiration...we all just want to see that little tiny cat that had all the odds going against it come out ahead. Your taking time out of your busy schedule to acknowledge this little fiesty cat is just like someone taking time to put some food out for a stray and trying to help it find a home...it's an incredibly kind and generous act that will make a difference.
If you have a minute and can send our sweet girl a quick "Happy Birthday" on Twitter, Facebook or our blog, just know that it will mean the world to us...and, we'll donate $500 to a wonderful feline hospice (The Best Little Cathouse in Pennsylvania) on your behalf.
And, Anderson, if you don't feel like you can, well...we'll be disappointed but...we'll understand. Not everyone "gets" the animal "thing"...but if you aren't there yet...all of the Whiskers & Purrs Gang will say prayers for you that you will understand one day...you just have no idea what you're missing!
Sweet Elsie...let's go crack open some Temptations and get the Nip started! It's time to celebrate six glorious years!
Love,
Mommy Jenny
