Rescued cat out-Foxs tormentor
By Jesse Phelps

Tasha, a female Himalayan mix cat, has gone from one extreme to the other recently - from being tossed into the surf off Ventura State Beach to being adopted by a celebrity.

Tasha is clearly down at least one of her nine lives after the experience, in which she was tossed into the ocean in a cat carrier weighted down with rocks, apparently meant to drown her. But with the aid of her rescuer, the Ventura County Humane Society and a animal-loving weather lady, she's recovering well in a loving home.

Jillian Barberie is known to area viewers as the weather forecaster for Fox 11 "Morning News" and "Good Day L.A." and as the former hostess of "The List" on FX. When she heard about Tasha's story, she understandably got upset. Instead of keeping her feelings to herself, Barberie decided to take action.

First she offered on the air to increase the reward for the cat's tormentor, still on the loose, by $1,000. And then, when the Humane Society's Tim Dewar called to see if she wanted to adopt the cat, she immediately agreed to do so.

"I spoke with her assistant to see if there was interest and there was just no hesitation at all," said Dewar. "I have been familiar with Jillian's love for animals for a long time. That cemented it for us, that not only did she offer a substantial amount personally, but she also really kept it in the forefront publicly trying to find the person responsible, through the television program."

Dewar said he took Tasha, after she'd been housed in the Humane Society shelter for the requisite 30-day wait period, to Los Angeles to meet Barberie. "The day I went down, (Jillian) had had her wisdom teeth out the day before. So she was going to be home for almost a week and be with (Tasha), introduce her to her other animals, begin that acceptance process before she went back to work.

"It worked out very well. The great thing is she has three dogs and four other cats, and another Himalayan mix, very similar to Tasha, just fell in love with her right away," said Dewar. "He came and sat by the carrier as we did the paperwork. When we opened the door, she didn't run and hide under a sofa or anything. She was immediately comfortable, strolled out casually and started exploring. I walked out of there feeling just absolutely elated that Tasha had found a place where she would be absolutely loved, not only by Jillian but by all the other animals in the house."

Tasha was actually dubbed Sandy by her rescuers after her oceanic voyage, but was renamed by Barberie. "I wanted to get as far away from that traumatic experience as I could for her," she said. "I always spend time with them before I name them.

They all have personalities. I was looking on my fridge one morning and saw a picture of my uncle's old cat. I said, 'My god, it looks like the incarnation of this cat,' who was named Tasha. So that's where the name comes from."

And how is Tasha doing? She's adjusting gradually, according to Barbarie, and going through the natural process of regaining her trust.

"I am very patient," said Barberie, who has a history of adopting and caring for previously unwanted pets. "The reward is overwhelming. Once she has trust, it's going to be unbelievable and I know that. She's got serious issues. She's so injured, so mentally distrustful. You can't rush them."

Barberie said that, for now, Tasha "hangs out observes - she watches all of us like a hawk." All the other animals sense her hurt and steer clear, for the time being. Except, that is, for one adventurous rabbit.

"The first time she saw the bunny was priceless," Barbarie said. "This rabbit comes hopping across her path. She stopped, mid-paw in air. Mr. Jinxy is a very happy rabbit. He has no fear whatsoever. He hopped over to her and wanted to smell her. She slapped him across the face and he went flying all the way across the room."

Fortunately, Tasha, who is de-clawed and appears to have been well cared for in the past - making the why of her original predicament that much more mysterious -didn't hurt the poor rabbit. Now, says Barberie, even Mr. Jinxy knows he's dealing with a tough customer.

Barberie said she'll continue to nurture Tasha and eventually she expects her to gain enough trust to play more with the other animals. She's got a single-story ranch home with lots of room for everyone. After the adjustment period, the animals all make friends. For now, she gives Tasha a little catnip every day.

"That's the only time she lets me pet her," Barberie said. "She purrs and lays on her back-that's a sign of trust. I love the challenge because, fast forward for a year until she knows and realizes this is her new home, I know how wonderful that realization is going to be for her."

The reward for information leading to Tasha's would-be-murderer remains unclaimed. It started at $300, and after Barberie upped it to $1,300, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals added $1,000 and other contributors kicked in various amounts. The reward now totals about $3,500.

Meanwhile, while Tasha's adventures may have a storybook ending, many animals still await loving homes. Dewar said the Humane Society just held it's adopt-athon but that in the neighborhood of about 35 dogs and about 12 cats remain homeless at the shelter.

"(Tasha) found a fabulous home but there are still lots of animals out there looking," said Dewar. "It's wonderful that people respond the way they do when an animal has been treated the way she was. There are still plenty of animals that haven't been traumatized the way she was but still need a home. Anyone who was interested in (Tasha), we'd just like them to know that there are plenty of animals that need them just as badly."

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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