Iggy

Rescue, like life, is sometimes about working up the courage to take that first step.

Six-year-old Iggy has been with us since June. Why so long? Well, he was found abandoned outside, far too thin, with severe dental disease and ear infections. He was also terrified. He spent seven months in foster homes. Four months of this time was just spent putting on enough weight that we could even start his dental treatment!

In January, Iggy came into the shelter. And hid. Never aggressive, Iggy simply closed his eyes, huddled down in his bed, and pretended we weren’t there. He would let us pet him. He would occasionally even take a bite of Churu. But there wasn’t anything we could offer him that would convince him to move one inch forward. There wasn’t anything we could do to convince him that his condo wasn’t the only safe place in the world.

Fast-forward three months. His dental treatment is complete and Iggy is out of pain for the first time in years. He is a good weight. We have discovered that he likes to watch bird videos. He will also play with a ribbon wand toy if it is quiet. He has discovered that he DOES like to be pet. You can sometimes feel him purr, even if you don’t hear it. And this week, for the first time, Iggy voluntarily stepped out of his condo onto the floor.

Now, we aren’t gonna lie- he hopped back in pretty quickly. But he took that first step. He summoned up all of his courage and faced his fears. And nothing terrible happened. He learned that his condo, with his favorite bed will still be there. The next day he stepped out again.

We have high hopes for Iggy. Maybe next week he will explore. Maybe he will make friends with another cat. Or maybe he will take a week off, and spend it watching bird videos. Progress isn’t linear. But the fact that he was able to face his fears and take that first step means that he can get there. And we will give him the time that he needs.

We all have times when we are stuck. Afraid to trust. Afraid to even let ourselves admit we want something. We all have times where we, at least metaphorically, close our eyes and hunker down. Maybe you’ve felt that way lately. But maybe you have been thinking about making a change. Maybe you have been working up the courage to move that one inch closer to something that you want but are afraid to ask for.

Maybe this is your sign to take that first step. If so, Iggy says to give it a shot. It isn’t as bad as it seems.