It was the fall of 2022 and we had moved to a new house in the coastal city of Santa Marta. The main reason we had chosen this rental house was because of the large yard for our dogs. We had only been in our new house for a few weeks when a cat showed up. Meowing.
Having recently lost our Spanish for Vet Pros Quality Assurance Manager, Gin, there was definitely space to see where this would go.
She was a bit scruffy, with scabs all over her head, full of fleas, very affectionate and HUNGRY! Once she tasted the delicious canned food and had a big drink of water, she stayed put. I set up a little bed outside and she slept there, meowing into the window any time she saw us. The dogs were curious but respectful and she didn’t seem to mind them much.
After asking our neighbors and waiting for a week we decided to invite her into our home. It’s like she owned the place -- she came in with no hesitation. I took her for vaccines and had an ultrasound for possible kittens (it turns out she was already spayed) and bam! We were hers. Until a few weeks later, a woman walked by and asked if I had a cat in my house.
My heart sank.
I showed her a photo and she said, yes that’s my cat. But it turns out that she rescues cats and was looking for a forever home for her. She used to live with 8 other cats and 5 dogs down the street. I was so relieved and happy! Our neighbor told us that she was about 3 years old, and had been quite ill previously but they nursed her back to health.
Margarita is an old name, but it totally fits her - most of the time we call her Doña Margarita (kind of like madam) and she has been ruling the house for these two years. She’s an avid hunter, catching and eating mice, rats, birds (sorry!) and even baby iguanas. She has free reign of the house, the yard and the neighborhood and is pretty bossy over the dogs.
She is loving, loud and a true character. She’s still applying for jobs at Spanish for Vet Pros, but for now she’s completing her internship with us to see where she would best fit. The only thing we know for sure that this rescue cat has a permanent place with us.
Hope you enjoyed the story of our intern, Doña Margarita!
Hasta luego,
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