Graham
Graham Central Station
In early September, Manhattan resident Layla Alvandi met her new roommate, Graham, in the cattery at the ASPCA Adoption Center. A tough cookie with a tender middle, the two-year-old cat had waited patiently for months to meet a friend he could count on.
The orange love bug—formerly known as Monroe—first arrived at the ASPCA in rough shape. He was rescued as a stray wandering the outer borough streets of the Bronx and suffering from a head wound. Veterinarians at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital performed surgery to fix the wound, which was likely self-inflicted from excessive scratching. But even after a speedy recovery, this brave cat still struggled with skin allergies that required a hypoallergenic diet.
Graham’s special needs were hardly a deterrent for Layla, who, on first meeting, thought he was very special indeed. “He is seriously the best cat!” she says. “He loves belly rubs and playing fetch with his little toy mouse. And now he likes to sleep with his head on my stomach or in the crook of my arm.”
Though he came from the streets, Graham is a lap cat by nature and, according to his pet mama, has the biggest purr for a tiny body. And his adventurer’s spirit still thrives—after days spent trying to open a closet door in his new home, he finally succeeded. “He got stuck in the storage area above my clothes,” Layla describes. “When I came to get him, he jumped on my shoulder and rode around for awhile.”
Finally this special cat has found a shoulder to lean on, and Layla, for her part, has found a loving mate. “I’m so grateful to the ASPCA for taking such good care of him for eight months,” she says, “so I had a chance to find him.”