Daniel Island rescue kitten: The ‘tail’ of the cat who thinks she’s a dog
January is National Walk Your Pet Month. Walking pets usually brings to mind images of playful pooches bonding with their owners, however, in the Daniel Island Smythe Street community, the picture is a little different. The neighborhood is home to Elsa, a rescue cat who thinks she’s a dog.
Elsa is not the typical cat. She loves playing with other dogs and even walks around the neighborhood on a leash. Completely at ease with the neighborhood canines, she can hang out with even the most disorderly of dogs and plays as if she is one of them. Elsa is unique down to her toes — she has an extra one on her paws.
Elsa entered the lives of owners Jane and Robert Dunn after their daughter, Sara Hatcher, found the starving, flea-bitten feline at a housing project in Georgia on Halloween day in 2017. Sara brought Elsa home and persuaded her parents to adopt the homeless kitty.
Jane instantly fell for the sweet feline and named her Princess Elsa because of her striking features and white fur. Elsa immediately formed a close “sisterly” relationship with Bijou, the family’s little white pup. The two are constant companions, chasing each other around and playing like two puppies.
“Elsa was so sweet. We brought her home to Daniel Island on November 10, 2017. She took right to Bijou and was the only cat on the block, so she identifies with all the dogs, and kisses the ones that she likes,” exclaimed Jane.
Neighbors often refer to her as the official greeter of Smythe Street. The friendly feline is a favorite with children and adults alike. Elsa even won over her neighbor, Susanne Dandridge, who never had much contact with cats in the past. “My dad was terribly allergic to cats when I was growing up, so we were never allowed to have one, therefore I was never really a cat person,” Dandridge said. “Elsa is not only a beautiful little cat but full of personality… She’s very sweet and charming and has no problem winning people over. How could you not like Elsa, cat person or not? She’s adorable.”
Neighbor Marion Snyder says Elsa gets along surprisingly well with the other dogs in the neighborhood, especially her dog, Turbo. “She is just a really sweet cat with a fun personality and likes to hang out with the dogs in the neighborhood. Shortly after our dog lost his vision, she saw us coming down the sidewalk and hid behind a shrub, then she pounced out on Turbo. Once she realized she scared him a little she rubbed up against him and purred as if to say sorry. It was really sweet. I am not really surprised that Turbo likes her because he will do anything to get closer to Bijou. It is surprising that Elsa gets along with so many of the dogs in the neighborhood,” said Snyder.
Elsa has become a fuzzy family member of the Smythe Street neighborhood. The mini-celebrity is truly a princess, down to her purr-fect happily ever after ending that every rescue pet wants.