Finding a friend didn’t seem likely for Kiley and Richey at first. But some things are just meant to be. While most cats were scared of Kiley’s motorized wheelchair, Richey wasn’t. Richey learned to be brave while living on the streets and seemed used to being in a home, which made him perfect for Kiley.
Cat rescuer Chris Poole found the white cat at a feral colony he feeds. The blue-eyed cat kept coming back and became a regular. “He was ALWAYS hungry and was obviously owned at some point,” Poole wrote on his YouTube video. “I believe he was abandoned by his owners when they moved out of the apartments.”
Poole started talking to the cat, and the cat would talk back. After giving him some catnip, Richey let Poole pet him. Poole decided Richey would make a good rescue cat, so he used catnip to lure him into a carrier and took him to the vet. Richey got a name, a microchip, and was neutered. At Suncoast Animal League, it was clear that Richey loved attention.
He wanted to be petted and cuddled all day. Richey was also very vocal. He got used to being an indoor cat and was ready for adoption. Larissa Condarcure, who runs Suncoast Animal League, knew the perfect family for Richey. Lori Griggs and her daughter Kiley visited the shelter a few months ago.
They had visited many shelters but couldn’t find a cat that wasn’t scared of Kiley’s motorized wheelchair… until now. Richey jumped into Kiley’s lap when they first met. Kiley was overjoyed. Richey didn’t mind the wheelchair and got cozy in her lap.
“He could care less about her driving around the house. Actually, he is like a speed bump and doesn’t even move out of the way,” Griggs said. “When we opened his cat carrier in our daughter’s bed, he crawled right up onto her and snuggled.”
Richey loves being a lap cat in his new home. He and Kiley are almost always together. “It’s like he has been part of the family since he got here. He sits in her lap in the wheelchair while she does her schoolwork and snuggles her all day,” Griggs said. “I work from home and our daughter is homeschooled so he gets lots of attention all day long. It’s just cuteness overload here!”