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photo by Talia Hodge
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photo by Talia Hodge
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photo by Talia Hodge
As Nicole Boberg drove down Akron’s West Market Street in August, a black furball zoomed by. It was so teensy-tiny she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her — but Boberg went into rescue mode after she and her son, John, got a better look.
“We saw this little kitty. It was trying to cross Market, but it was fearful of the curb,” recalls the Akron resident. “It was the size of a pop can — it was so tiny.”
She pulled over, and John chased the black kitten with amber eyes. It darted toward an apartment complex, and they eventually found the kitten stuck in a hosta plant. They took her to the nearby One of A Kind Pet Rescue, but a worker said they were full.
With two dogs and two cats, Boberg, who is married with three children, was hesitant about getting another pet — but she couldn’t leave the kitten. She took her home, hand-feeding the 3 1/2-week-old cat tuna and putting her in the bathtub to keep her safe.
After three weeks of looking for a permanent home and not receiving any takers, the Bobergs welcomed the kitten into their family. They named her Edie, after a person in the “Grey Gardens” documentary.
“Everyone was smitten because she was so fun,” says Boberg.
Edie is very playful — she fetches a maroon pompom, mischievously climbs the curtains and watches goldfish videos. Early on, especially, the family dressed their “doll” up in American Girl clothes — an Eiffel Tower T-shirt, pink skirt and pink ribbon headband — and pushed her in a pet stroller. Unlike their other cats, Edie comes to you.
“The moment you start petting her, she melts,” Boberg says. “She is constantly purring. She loves affection.”
Their 6-year-old dachshund mix, Herbie, and 9-year-old black cat, Keanu, get along with Edie. She chases around the family’s 2-year-old heeler mix, Tito, and likes to feistily paw at their 3-year-old longhaired tuxedo cat, Raoul, to get him to play. (Even though he isn’t interested.) Edie, however, has won over Boberg’s husband, John. He doesn’t like cats much but loves Edie because she follows him everywhere. Boberg’s grateful she took in the tiny furball — now a beloved family member.
“It was meant to be that nobody snatched her up,” Boberg says. “She’s easy to fall in love with.”// KP
