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The first time Clark came to my house to meet me, he was curled up into a ball and trembling next to me on the couch. Even though he was scared-to-death to be in an unfamiliar place, he managed to lift up his little head and briefly make eye contact with me as if to say, "I’ve had a rough start in life and I need someone to love me." - Basepaws client Rebecca introduces Basepaws cat Clark.
It all began in March of 2017 when a cat was found wandering the streets, starved and sick. Noone knows how long he must have been out by himself, but it was evident that life hasn't been kind to him. He was found with an embedded flea collar into his neck, an UTI, infected molar and breathing difficulties. Determined to recover his strength and find him a loving home, Brian, the cat's rescuer and foster parent, took him in and brought him back to health. To honor the feline's surprising survival powers, he deservedly named him Clark. And so, the new adventures of the Supercat began.
Basepaws cat ClarkNot long after his recovery, Clark found the furrever home with the couple of loving humans: Rebecca and Graham. "I adopted two kittens when I was in graduate school, Navarre (2002) and Cian (2003) and they were my fur babies. Both had many medical issues over the years (hyperthyroidism, stroke, bone cancer, IMHA) and sadly they passed in Feb. 2016 and July 2017. Our house felt empty without them."
"By September 2017, I was ready to welcome a new furry friend into our lives. This time I decided to adopt an older cat. I contacted my local cat rescue society and Clark was highly recommended by Brian, the director/Clark’s foster dad. We did a one-week trial foster to make sure we were a good match and we were! This month is Clark’s one-year anniversary in his forever home." - explained Rebecca to us.
Today, Clark is a healthy, curious and playful feline. Although cautious and shy, he is an affectionate and kind animal. He has a beautiful tabby coat, tufted ears and long, peculiar whiskers. We asked Rebecca for a personal insight into Clark's personality:
"I would describe Clark as cautiously curious, playful, and affectionate. He’s interested in everything we do, but will watch from a distance, or the safety of the stairs first, and then moves in for a closer inspection. He does the same when meeting new people. For example, the first time he saw the TV turned on he didn’t know what to make of it! He ran out of the living room completely freaked-out but was still curious enough to peek at the TV from between the stair balusters. After a few days he was able to sit on the couch with the TV on and watched his first football game!"
Basepaws cat ClarkThis gentle and loving cat strongly bonded with Rebecca, his favorite human, almost immediately upon his initial arrival. "The first time Clark came to my house to meet me, he was curled up into a ball and trembling next to me on the couch. Even though he was scared-to-death to be in an unfamiliar place, he managed to lift up his little head and briefly make eye contact with me as if to say, "I’ve had a rough start in life and I need someone to love me." That small gesture was all it took for Clark to capture my heart. His loving nature makes him special and as a bonus he is also gentle, well-behaved and exceptionally smart. "
Clark never fails to return the love of his humans with a ton of snuggles, purrs and, of course, his guardian skills. "Clark’s favorite place in the house is his viewing spot from our back door. He likes to keep a watch over our back deck and yard. His other favorite spot is the stairs inside our house. I think they feel like a safe spot for him where he can be protected and up high to survey the living room below. Sometimes he even likes to sit on top of the banister!" - gushed Rebecca about her loving feline.
Basepaws cat ClarkAside from being brave, powerful and unbelievably loving, he is also a fun cat who makes his humans laugh every day. His favorite toy is a faux leopard fur ball, the very first toy he had ever gotten from Rebecca. "At bedtime he usually carries one of his toys up the stairs (and talks to us with the toy in his mouth—hilarious!) to our bedroom and places it either next to or on the bed."
Although he prefers not to be picked up, he does love to snuggle, watch the bird videos on YouTube and play catch/soccer. "One of the unique things about Clark is his voice and chatty nature. He does a meow-trill combo that is so cute!".
Clark's precious furs arrived to our lab when Rebecca decided it was time to unravel his mysterious genetic background. We discovered that the top three matches for Clark were the Maine Coon, the Oriental Shorthair and the Ragdoll.
"I had a suspicion Clark has some Maine Coon cat in him based on a few traits (tufts of fur on ear tips, very long whiskers, thick undercoat). The Oriental Shorthair was a surprise, but after reading about some of this breed’s traits, I could see them in Clark. Clark is very vocal and has a somewhat triangle-shaped face with long ears."
His Wild Cat index showed that he was most similar to the Fishing Cat. "Confirming that Clark has Maine Coon cat in his background was great, but I also enjoyed learning about the Fishing Cat. Very cool big cat species! […] Had I known about Basepaws when Navarre and Cian were alive, I would have sent in samples for both of them."
Basepaws cat ClarkClark is one of the kindest and most lovable cats who ever joined forces with Basepaws. His story is beyond inspirational and has moved the hearts of us all. This is a cat who never allowed his scars to slow him down. Although cautious, he remained brave and strong, continuously fighting his fears and battles. And through it all, he never forgot how to love and he never lost his humor. This is what made him our Supercat. Thank you Rebecca and Graham for bringing a little bit of Clark over to us!