Is that each week I find new cats I want to take home. And Middle Cat, who is now TWENTY years old, and doing remarkably well if you overlook the hyperthyroidism, renal failure, and brain tumor, really really really likes being an ONLY cat and does NOT want any companions.
Okay then.
But I can't help but pick out beasties at the shelter for the "if Middle Cat dropped dead tomorrow [because face it, she might] I'd take you home" lineup.
There's the lovely white cat with brown tabby patches, who is completely blind, yet rushes to find out who you are when you enter the room, purrs like a maniac, and has this delightful habit of batting you with his (declawed) front feet to figure out exactly what space you take up. (He's been there quite a while - not only is he blind, he has a history of housesoiling. Sigh.)
There's also a sweet long-haired gray and white girl, who tends to sit with her face to the corner. She came in all matted so was shaved from the neck down, and is fat enough that she looks terribly silly, her gray and white mane next to her white-fuzzed pink piglet's body. People would walk by and laugh at her. But she's awfully sweet and likes nothing more than for you to rub her ears, and she'll fill the kennel with her purring.
Last week there was a delightful portly long-haired calico. She was sitting in the windowsill, hiding from the other cats in the room. I petted her and she rubbed her head against my hand. Then I sat down on the floor across the room, and was working with other cats, when suddenly thump! she jumped down, raced over to me, and plopped herself in my lap. There she sat, purring and purring, until you could see it dawn on her that she was surrounded by other cats and had no idea how she would ever get off my lap. Poor thing, she was so sweet, but not the most forward-thinking.
And then this week there was a doppelgänger for Youngest Cat. It was a girl, not a boy, and she was a tiny little thing with a sleek triangular face, unlike Youngest Cat's big thuggy square-jawed maw. But she had the same dark orange stripes and golden eyes, and she used her front paws to give hugs the same way Youngest Cat did. She even made the same little noise chewing on things that he did - gnar gnar gnar. It's a good thing she was being held for someone, or I'd have snatched her up and made off with her. NLLDH and Middle Cat would have forgiven me, right?
Yeah. Honestly, it's a good thing Middle Cat us a crotchety old lady who loves her solitude, or we'd have twenty cats by now.
*nodnodnod* In the past two weekends I have stumbled across not one, but two, adoption events; one at (outside) the grocery store, one at the pet store. Not sure if it was the Humane Society both times, as I didn't actually dare get too close or look at the dogs too much or Juno would have gotten a surprise sibling.
We actually plan to adopt another dog this summer, July probably, but it would be ungood if I jumped the gun. Kudos to you for restraint!
Posted by: Dr. Moonbeam | Monday, May 21, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Oh yeah, I hear that all right! Furball also likes being an only cat, and my house doesn't have a good layout for setting up separate territories if she didn't get on with a new housemate, but oh how often I fall for another cat!
Posted by: JaneB | Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 05:53 AM
My two hardly get along so I can't bear the stress a thrid cat would bring to them, but I have that problem any time we see the shelter go to local fairs and stuff with kitties. I won't go look at them alone because I know I'd walk away with one.
Posted by: rented life | Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Brava for volunteering. Theres a wonderful cat only shelter in my town that has 160 permanent residents. But it would be an hour each way for me to volunteer so i just send $ when i can. Would feel disloyal bringing one home to Missy, tho
Posted by: CindyG | Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 01:42 AM