Farley, the neighborhood mascot
The fluffy gray cat was expected to live out his life in a no-kill shelter because he had a reputation for being aggressive. He’d been adopted once before, only to be returned to the Howard County Cat Club.
But when Matthew Smith and his wife, Jessica Green-Smith, looked at Farley in the winter of 2014, they just saw a terrified animal trying to protect himself.
“He was left in a cat carrier and abandoned next to a dumpster on a really hot day,” Green-Smith said. “Between that and not being neutered, he wasn’t a happy kitty.”
But the couple were struck by how patiently Farley waited while all the other cats at the shelter got petted. Finally, it was his turn.
“He sat in my husband’s lap and started to purr,” Green-Smith said. “When we left that day, he ran up to the window where he could see us. He stood up and put his front paws on the window and cried and cried.”
What could the couple do but adopt the then-6-year-old feline and bring him to live with them and their two other cats in Columbia?
“In the past two years, Farley has become the neighborhood mascot,” Green-Smith said.
“There’s an elderly woman in the
Pet people
neighborhood who uses a walker. Farley will walk the whole neighborhood with her. When she sits down to rest, Farley sits and rests.”
In fact, Farley has become so confident of his welcome that he’s not above indulging in some breaking and entering.
“His specialty is opening screen doors,” Green-Smith said. “If your door is not locked, he will open it and walk into your house.” baltimoresun.com/unleashed. baltimoresunstore.com