When Jenna accepted to foster a senior cat with serious health issues, little did she know her new feline friend would become a forever companion.
The reason why Isabelle the cat became a ‘foster fail’ is pretty simple. She bonded with her foster mom to the point where Jenna couldn’t let her go.
senior cat lying on fluffy blanket
However, there is a twist. Isabelle only loves Jenna and ‘tolerates’ the rest of the family. As Jenna shared in her video:
“Only wants to be near me. Doesn’t have any interest in anybody else.”
woman and senior cat
Poor Isabelle had a rough start in life. She was rescued by a shelter in California with wounds, sores in her mouth, and rotten teeth.
Jenna, an experienced foster volunteer took it upon herself to nurture the poor soul back to life. It was probably the reason why Isabelle bonded with her that much, but it came with a cost.
cat sitting behind the fence
If anyone tried to pet Isabelle, she would scratch them instantly. She only allowed Jenna to come close to her, and she made sure everyone knew who her favorite human was.
When Jenna had her second daughter, things became difficult. She couldn’t spend as much time with Isabelle as she wanted, and the poor soul became jealous. As Jenna shared:
“Isabelle was so jealous and wanted so much attention from me. I was nursing a baby and she would still try to sit in my lap.”
cat lying next to a baby
Isabelle never attacked Jenna’s daughter, but six weeks after Jenna gave birth, her senior sweetheart became sick.
Jenna rushed her to the vet only to discover it was pancreatitis, usually caused by stress. She was devastated, as mentioned:
“I cried all the way home because I thought, what am I doing? I’ve got this cat that’s so attached to me, she made herself sick over me having a baby.”
cat sitting next to a stroller
Jenna knew she had to do something about it, so she found new ways to spend time with Isabelle whenever her daughter was sleeping. As Jenna shared:
“I started putting on TV for her, so she could watch birds and squirrels, just really making the effort to spend more time with her, even when I was exhausted.”
woman with a stroller
She even bought a stroller for Isabelle, so whenever she was outside with her baby, her feline companion could come along.
Although Isabelle can be a challenge sometimes, her mom refers to her as ‘my million dollar baby’, or as Jenna also shared:
“She is absolutely my soulmate, the love of my life.”
senior cat cuddling with woman
The bond between Jenna and her feline friend Isabelle, definitely warmed my heart up.