Adoption Story – Penelope, the NOVA Police Cat

Penelope’s wonderful adoption story demonstrates how life for a homeless animal can turn from gloomy to bright when people care. This sweet and slightly shy bobtail kitty came to HSLC from an animal shelter around the beginning of 2014. Fosters were scarce at the time so she was placed in a kitty condo at one of our partner pet stores.  Our volunteer caring for her at the store started calling her Doodle Bug because of her cute roly-poly shape and it stuck. But we had no idea what a gem we had taken in.

Doodle Bug never really seemed comfortable in the condo.  Soon she began “acting out” at our adoption events, growling/hissing at the other cats and not letting people pet her. We were concerned that there was something wrong. When she developed a condition that required medication twice a day, the kitty condo volunteer decided to take her home to foster her until she was well.

Once in a home situation Doodle Bug seemed a little lost. We have no idea how long she was living in a cage before coming to us but it was obvious that she had forgotten how to be a cat. She had to be shown how to play with toys. Sitting on the floor, her foster had to pick her up and set her in her lap the first time to show her it was okay to ask for love. And then the drooling started. Doodle Bug was so happy being out of a cage and getting attention and love that she would start drooling when she purred. Drooling a lot – to the point a towel was needed.

After a couple of weeks in her foster home, Doodle Bug became the friendliest kitty ever at adoption events. She would reach out her paw at people passing by for them to show her some attention. The transformation was amazing. Then one day she caught the eye of Audrey Weinstein. We were using the pet store break room to let prospective adopters spend some time with the cats so Audrey, her friend, and our volunteer sat down at their table and Doodle Bug was set on the table for everyone to see and pet. Doodle Bug immediately walked over the Audrey and climbed into her lap. That sealed the deal.

Audrey and John Weinstein, residents of South Riding, have always named their cats after Greek mythological figures.  After the untimely passing of Medusa, Audrey found Doodle Bug. What first drew them to this bobtail cat were her beautiful big eyes and her gentle disposition.  She was promptly renamed Penelope, in honor of the beautiful and virtuous wife of Odysseus of Odyssey fame.

Penelope’s first night at home was eventful and set a pattern that continues to this day.  As soon as the lights were turned off, Audrey and John heard commotion downstairs: running and loud meowing.  Moments later, Penelope had come upstairs and started meowing at the door to the bedroom.  Penelope had “killed” a toy mouse from her toy bin and brought this trophy upstairs.  Every night, for the last four years, shortly after the lights are turned off, Penelope noisily kills the same toy mouse and carries it upstairs to Audrey and John.  She has also “killed” toy birds and even a pair of earmuffs, but the little green and red mouse is her favorite victim. No sooner than she brings her trophy upstairs, she jumps on the bed to be rewarded with admiring words and petting.  She loves to settle in to join Audrey and John when reading and sleeping.

Perhaps Penelope’s most endearing quality is her gentleness and love for children.  She is often with Audrey and John’s 7 grandchildren, who range from ages 2-11. Penelope loves the additional attention and is always in the middle of the chaos.

Penelope is incredibly photogenic.  John, a police lieutenant at Northern Virginia Community College’s police department, started to feature pictures of Penelope with monthly safety tips in the department’s monthly Public Safety Newsletter.  Readership has increased by a factor of three.  Her title on campus is “Penelope, the NOVA Police Cat” and she has become famous.  People are constantly asking police dispatch which campus she’s at because they want to meet and pet her.  The standard response, that she’s on patrol, is more engaging than she’s home, sound asleep and waiting for nightfall when she will kill again.

Penelope, the NOVA Police Cat, also has her own Instagram account, #penelopenovapolicecat, where she provides daily safety tips.  Check her out.

Of course, Audrey and John consider Penelope to be unique, but in fact, she is just like so many other loving animals at the Humane Society of Loudoun County, just waiting to love and be loved.