By Loree Walden, Yavapai Humane Society
Please be patient with me.
These are our first hours/days together, and I’m still trying to figure everything out.
You keep telling me that everything is okay and that I’m home, but I’m just not sure. You see, I had a home before, and I thought I belonged there and that I was loved, but something happened, and it all changed and my whole life turned upside down.
I don’t know what I did wrong. I don’t know what changed for them, I don’t know why they didn’t want me anymore or why they just let me go. It’s been very confusing for me, and I’ve been scared. I’m still scared.
So, please be patient with me.
I may poop or pee in this new place that you call my new home, because I’m not used to where to go yet, and I’m still very nervous. I’ll get used to it all and the new routines, but it’s going to take me some time.
So, please be patient with me.
I don’t know this place—the smells, the rooms, the sounds. I don’t know you or your routines, your mannerisms, your voice, or anything about you.
It a big adjustment for me, and for you. So let’s take this day by day and work on this together.
You may make movements that scare me. Your tone of voice may scare me. You don’t know my history, and I can’t tell you, so all I ask is that you give me time.
So, please be patient with me.
I may not want to eat what you’re giving me. Or, if I do, I may not like it or may even get sick. I’ve been on a special food at the shelter and that’s what I’m used to. So please give me some time to get used to what you’re feeding me and when you’re feeding me. Trust me, I’ll get used to all this new stuff.
So, please be patient with me.
I may not want to play with you or cuddle on the couch right away. I may just want to lay in that new fluffy bed you bought for me or my crate, where I feel safe. I may just want to hide under a bed or in a corner. Just give me some time because this is all so new for me.
And even though you may want me to jump up in your bed with you right away, it’s probably not a good idea. You may get up in the middle of the night and it might spook me.
I’m not used to it here, nor am I used to you. I’m used to sleeping alone, and I may want to do that for the rest of my life. Or I may eventually want to cuddle up with you. We’ll work on this together, but it’s going to take time.
So, please be patient with me.
Especially if you’re trying to introduce me to my new furry brothers and sisters. We may not like each other right away, it may take weeks, or even months, for us to like each other, but we need time to get used to each other.
You can’t judge it in one or two days—think about how long it takes for you to make a real friend or form a trusting relationship. It’s the same for me and this new family you’ve brought me into.
Just give us some time, let us do it at our own pace, and don’t push the issue. If you do, it’s going to fail, and I don’t want that. Neither of us do.
So, please be patient with me.
We’re starting out on a new adventure together and I’m excited, and a little nervous. I want you to be my forever home and I’ll do my best to make it happen because nobody wants that more than me.
When you adopted me, they told you about the 3-3-3 Rule. It’s really good advice, and if you follow it we can make this work and live together happily ever after. I know that’s what I want, and I think you do, too.
So, please be patient with me. I promise it will be worth it.
