Meet Rufus!
When Rufus was about two months old he was rescued by an amazingly awesome Berkeley Police Department Officer during an arrest of his then owner. The Officer turned Rufus over to the Berkeley Animal Shelter, which is when he came to my attention. I had never seriously thought about adopting a cat, but something about his face and his story compelled me to visit him. When I did, there was no going back.
When the Officer saw him, she realized there was something special about him… and something different about his tail. Unlike most cats, Rufus has a twisty, short, stubby tail:
Rufus lived as an indoor cat when I lived in a small apartment on a busy street. Two years ago, he and I moved into a larger home with a backyard. He soon informed me (he talks more than any other roommate I’ve ever had and is quite persuasive) that it was time. He now spends all the time he can watching the birds, lounging in the sun, digging latrines, eating grass, and chasing any interlopers who dare stray into his domain (cats, birds, squirrels, bugs, and sometimes falling leaves).
Rufus loves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time (dried fish flakes make him go nuts). He also is happiest when walking/running through the backyard, hiding and watching birds/squirrels, chasing hair ties and rubber bands, and snuggling:
