Introducing Ember

In my blog post of January 8^th I told you all that my home had been approved by officials at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (http://baltimoreanimalshelter.org/) as a permanent haven for a rescue kitty, a tragic burn victim set on fire by a juvenile delinquent in Baltimore City eight months ago when she was just a kitten. With her lengthy recuperation finally deemed to be nearing completion, the now one-year-old kitty officially joined my household on Friday.

With the formation and countenance of a Bombay (small stature, round eyes, silky black fur), coupled with her lively vocabulary and loving personality, my new arrival has already melted my heart. I have decided to name her Ember. Little Ember is difficult to behold at first: the cartilage of her ears has been burned away and she still sports a three-inch by four-inch patch of raw skin on her back, a wound that doctors hope to reduce in size with one additional surgery that will fold healthy skin from either side over the open wound. Ember doesn’t have enough skin on her back to fold over and seal the entire burn area, so there may always be a strip of hairless, scarred skin along her spine, but hopefully with time the rawness of the wound will diminish.

For the moment, little Ember is in seclusion from my two feline residents. She has a spare room of her own, lots of toys, and a cozy bed on a sunny window sill upstairs where she can watch the comings and goings in the great outdoors (said to be a favorite pastime of Bombays, although I would argue that window-sill perching is a favorite hobby of most cats). My two current occupants, Underfoot and Lightfoot (Elfie for short), alternately sniff Ember beneath the bedroom door and spend hours pretending she doesn’t exist. For my part, I spend as much time in Ember’s room as I can spare, cuddling her and playing with her. I am hopeful Ember will join us in the rest of the house within a few day’s time.

So here are the very first photos of my newest family member. Little Ember was not altogether thrilled with the slipperiness of my vintage, jewel-toned, satin pajamas from Victoria’s Secret as we sat for these pictures, but she managed to pose for a few shots. From this angle you can hardly tell her ears are disfigured, although rest assured, her hearing is fine. By all accounts, Ember is a fully functioning, extremely affectionate, playful kitty. I am excited to welcome her into my home and into my heart.

Cheers,

Lynell