“Leila is kitty number 22 and our fifth fully black cat,” Gail says. “We LOVE black cats and their chill personalities. Leila was part of a litter in which all of her siblings had been adopted, and she was moved into the Halfway House when she reached 6 months of age. As a Socializer with Furry Friends, I got to know her sweet, gentle and playful personality and couldn’t resist taking her home with me.

“She was a bit shy for the first couple of weeks, but curious and good-natured at the same time. She was given her own room with lots of space to play and to feel safe. She and our other cats could see and sniff at each other through a screen door that we had installed just for that purpose. They would also stick their paws under the sliding door and bat at each other by way of introduction. Before long, though, she was roaming the house as if she’d lived here forever.

“We love the playful energy that Leila has brought to our home. She’s always so happy, and she comes to greet us every morning and when we get home from running errands. She has a cute way of lying with her front paws straight out in front of her and her back legs flat out in back of her – as if she’s doing a yoga pose! She ‘chirps’ when she jumps down from the furniture or her cat tree, tilts her head from side to side when she’s trying to figure out something new, and loves playing hide and seek in the sheets.

“Since our other cats are 6 and 14, they look at her kittenish energy with disdain, and we can almost hear them saying, ‘Doesn’t she know that cats are supposed to be regal and aloof?’

“Leila’s favorite toys are her string toy with a mouse and streamers on the end and her two stuffed fish with feather tails. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, she leads us into her room to play. She also plays independently in a Chewy box that we filled with crinkly paper and little toys, but she seems to prefer the company of people, and is always checking out the other cats in case they want to play.

“When she first arrived, she didn’t really understand being hugged and cuddled, although she did like being petted and was a champion purrer. After working with her for a few months to get her used to being picked up and cuddled, she now enjoys her hugs and cuddles. She often lies on my lap or on my feet in the evenings while we watch TV and contentedly purrs. One of the gentlest kitties we’ve ever had, she also LOVES having her tummy rubbed!

“While she’s allowed to sleep wherever she wants, she most often sleeps in her cat tree in her room. Sometimes, though, we find her sleeping on a blanket at the foot of the bed, stretched out to her full length.”

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Furry Friends Fur-Ever Stories are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA. She lives with her adopted Maltese named Mini.