"Parenthood".... and cats....

Long story short, (yes, I know:  every time someone says that, it's too late) I had a cat - Oliver.  He was uber cute and snuggly. 

His favorite thing was to help you take a nap - that's an acquired skill!  BUT, eventually he decided that he liked my darling daughter PWTH better, and he removed his favor from me.  Then when she got married, she took him to her new home - in TEXAS!  This house was in desperate need of a new, snuggly cat, preferably a very fuzzy one.

See, one daughter got a cat in middle school, and the older daughter stole I mean acquired a cat.  I had no cat at all!  This had to be remedied.  So, the first weekend of November, 2011, we went to the local animal shelter (dog/cat pound), as they were having an open house with half off the adoption fees.  We were looking, hopefully for both a dog AND a cat, having lost faithful doggie Ellie a month before.  But, alas!  No big dog/potential horse there (we like the big ones).  So we went into the cat rooms ...  big mistake.  HUGE!

By the end of our time there, both daughters were crying:  they know the statistics, and wanted to adopt all the kitties & thus save them.  UNfortunately, we had room for only one.  We all start looking/playing/trying to find the cat for us.

There was a six-toed cat (not a Maine Coon, just six toes), a Siamese-type with a bobbed tail, what seemed like HUNDREDS of kittens, and several others, including lots of tabbies (our personal favorites).  After a little while, I decided that we were going to take home a grown cat, as their chances of rescue were much smaller than cute, cuddly kittens.

I kept coming back to this one cage where a little fluffy cat was hiding in her litter box.  We finally got her out - she did not want to come - and started looking at her/playing with her.  Little bitty thing - our vet weighed her at 5.5 pounds and supposedly, she was 2 years old.  She kept trying to go back into her cage, but I couldn't let her go!  Long hair, Persian face (I don't know enough about cat breeds to know if she's full Persian or not), and HUGE brown eyes.  The shelter assistant said that she's the one who will hide all over the room.  This baby was so scared.  Then they told me that her owners had "given her up" because they had just had a baby.  That was it for me - this poor little thing had been abandoned by the only people she knew and trusted!  So we paid our $25 (for a PERSIAN!) and took her home - her name is Allie.  She hid under the car's seats all the way home, and once we got her inside the house, she kept hiding under all the furniture.

Eventually, she started trusting us - somewhat.  She'd come out of her hiding place, see us, and run back in.  (this is where the movie "Parenthood" comes in)  I was so desperate to see her/hold her/cuddle her, that every time she would come out, I'd get all excited and say, "HI, Allie!"  (just like the older mom trying to reach out to her adolescent son in the movie)  Of course, it was instantly BYE, Allie!

But, four months have passed.  She lives in our room, bathroom, and library.  She hangs out in the bidet (true story).  She LOVES men - I think it's their deep voices & bigger hands.  She loves for me to brush her, which is a good thing, considering her fur!  She's gained an entire pound - 6.5 pounds now - which is pretty amazing.  And I SO love her!  She tolerates me - typical cat!  But isn't she beautiful!  

All this to say, adopt a cat or dog from your local shelter or rescue organization.  And don't get too excited if they come out to investigate - you'll just scare them away!