Sofiya Comes Home – Part 2

At Amsterdam Airport. Screenshot from video by Maartje Schoenmaker.

Maartje sent a short video of Sofiya at the airport – Pawel’s flight from Warsaw to Amsterdam was late, so the handoff was quick. Then Pawel messaged me from the plane with a photo that all was well. I spent the afternoon tracking the flight on Flight Tracker. We packed for an epic journey – food, water, various kitty supplies including litter box, some food, an extra blanket for the carrier, paper towels, and cleaner.

We left about 5:30 p.m., allowing at least two hours for the drive and finding our way around the airport; the plane was due in at 8:30, and was even running a little early. Turned out the airport and Terminal 4 was a clear shot. Our research had paid off and we found decent parking right near the terminal.

We went inside, checked the flight, and returned to the car to calm down. We went back to the terminal a little after 8 and waited. We lined up along the divider and watched streams of people arriving from various international flights; occasionally we went back to the seating area. We started to get anxious around 9:30 – we knew the plane had landed, of course, and the “golden hour” for getting through customs was nigh. We’re the only people on the planet without a cell phone, but at that moment really wish we had one.

It got to be around 10:30 and I’m sure we were becoming glassy-eyed. We had been watching the stream of people, but hadn’t yet seen Pawel. All of a sudden, a tall guy pushing a very large dog kennel loomed from the left. A small soft carrier sat on top of it. We jumped up and greeted him. It all happened so fast that the details of our conversation are a blur… the puppy was a Great Dane, he leaving from LaGuardia in the morning… Finland was also among his stops.

He unzipped the carrier and took out Sofiya, who was wearing a pretty blue print jacket. I tried to take photos. Pawel took a couple of cell phone photos with us. I exclaimed how little she was. We gave her a kiss and put her in our carrier for the ride home and said our good-byes to Pawel. It would have been great to have a cup of coffee, but it so late and we had a long ride.

We made our way through the terminal and out to the parking lot with one mission in mind – to get home. We talked about stopping at a rest area once we were on I-95 to regroup, but just kept going. Sofiya was in the carrier on my lap, meowing every so often. I wanted to take her out and cuddle her, but there just wasn’t enough room in the front seat to juggle her and the carrier. We hadn’t touched the food we brought for the two of us, or her. Well, at least we were prepared!

It was close to 1 a.m. by the time we pulled in our driveway. I staggered up the stairs and placed the carrier on the floor. Mollie and Tekla sniffed a bit, then disappeared in the clamor that followed unpacking the car.

Learning the ropes

First things first. As I did with Celica Blue, I showed Sofiya the litter boxes. She duly sniffed around. I messaged Maartje and Pawel that we were home. I put down some food for Sofiya, which she ate right away.

Then we settled into the living room to decompress and get to know our new baby, who immediately started exploring her surroundings. She was curious but confident, and we were in awe.

But bedtime called. We decided she should spend the night in the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom, with litter box, food, water, and bed. It would be easy to check on her.

She meowed a bit, but settled in, sleeping on the vanity rather than the bedding. I was exhausted, throbbing, and still wound up.

The next day was getting-to-know-you. Sofiya explored the house while Mollie and Tekla kept their distance. She ate well, used the litter box, and accepted cuddles. However, about mid-afternoon, she disappeared. Gone. We checked all the hidey places upstairs and downstairs. Paul, a/k/a Mr. Doom and Gloom, was frantic. He thought she had escaped or was dead somewhere (really!). I figured she was exhausted, with the trip and time change, and had crashed. He made me message Maartje, who replied that she was indeed probably “knackered.” Sure enough, when Paul went upstairs a couple hours later, she popped out of … wherever. Yawned and stretched as if to say, “What’s the problem?”

After that, we decided to keep the upstairs off limits, at least for a couple of days.

After that, however, she stayed in sight, following us around, taking her place on the desk in the office… and following me upstairs to bed at night and diving under the covers.

Mollie and Tekla have adjusted quickly. At first they kept their distance and Sofiya was respectful. Mollie instigates a chase occasionally, which seems more in the spirit of play than outright aggression. Sofiya neither strikes back, nor is she intimidated. They sleep on either side of me at night. Tekla does frequent butt sniffs punctuated by an occasional hiss, but they have done the nose-to-nose kissy and have no problem sharing the counter.

Sofiya was raised with five siblings and several other teenage and adult cats. Mollie and Tekla have also lived with other cats. So the scene was set for a fairly smooth introduction.

A part of the family.

Within two weeks after her arrival, Sofiya was a full-fledged member of the family and now, almost two months later, I wonder if she even remembers her former home. She’s grown already and judging by the size of her paws, she will be a good-sized cat. Her coat is soft and velvety. She has tiniest “rhut-reow” meow, but makes up for it in the volume of her purr. She keeps me company on the desk, watching the birds and snoozing.

That we love her is an understatement.