We have a new cat in the house. This makes for 6 in total. This was an adoption (and a young’un at that!). Some time back I wrote about our “Good Visitor Kitty”. He last was seen a couple of weeks ago — he never was absent from our front or back entries that long. So, bye, bye dear visitor!
On to bigger and better things. My husband agreed to looking into getting a kitten. So some unexpected money came to us, and we went looking this past Saturday. PetsMart and PetCo each have adoptions on Saturdays in one of the local-ish (far away!) shopping areas. We were eager to see the kitties up for adoption. PetsMart was our first stop. No kitties, they were coming later. “Any kittens slated to attend the event?” Nothing as young as we were looking for, so off to PetCo we went. It was very close, just one or two shopping centers away. (TOO MANY SHOPPING CENTERS for sanities sake!) At any rate, we got there as they were setting up adoptions there too. But there were two gorgeous blue cats in a cage to gaze at for a bit, and then a new store to roam about … we’d never been in a PetCo. store before. PetsMart always suited us fine when they were the only ones around … no reason to venture to other venues — until that day.
So finally the cats came into the store via carriers. So we stood there and waited. Out came one of the younger cats. The lady in charge let me hold her, telling me this was the youngest one available that day. Three months old. We were looking for a two monther, but, oh well. I looked her over, and wasn’t THRILLED with her, but she was O.K. I held her for awhile. I wasn’t actually supposed to do that, apparently, but I didn’t ask for it. I had the kitten thrust into my arms! I hadn’t yet been approved as an adopter, no paper work had been filled out. That “cat” aura is unmistakeable though.
Back in time … in 1998, August precisely, I was very pregnant with our second child, and we were in PetsMart looking for a kitten and didn’t see any I liked. We’d looked a few other Saturdays as well. So that day, I suddenly noticed this orange cat. It looked like it needed a home. So I asked to hold it. It was a she, nearly 2 years old, Red Tabby (unusual find, a beautiful red tabby — and female to boot — red tabbies are usually male, and beautiful ones are hard to find in any sex!). I told my husband this was the cat we were to bring home. I know he knew I wanted a kitten, but this red cat was on my mind and heart. So home came Cinnamon (she’d previously been called “Maureen” a name that was NOT fitting — even with the unmistakeable “M” on her forhead, signifying her as a rank and file tabby). Cinnamon is the color of the darkest part of the stripe down her back. It fits!
Forward in time from here … 2001, December precisely — between Christmas and New Years Eve somewhere, we hadn’t been in PetsMart as a family since the above “Cinnamon” event. Our family had been near there, in the car or van in the parking lot often the year or two previous. Only my husband had gone in to get litter or vittles for the felines of the family though. This day in particular we were driving down the road that leads to Costco, and I said “Let’s go INTO PetsMart JUST to look. I just want to SEE the kitties there.” Surprisingly my husband said, “Alright” and turned into the parkinglot of PetsMart.
Inside we meandered back to the area with the adoption cages. I looked here and there, then went into the room that held some other cages, where cats often were put, out of the range of the dog noise. Outside of that room there had been some cats, but I was drawn into that room. In the front there were two cats together, and some other cats in another cage. I walked to the back of the room and slowly looked at all the cats while walking back to the door. I got to the door, and my husband was in the doorway with all three of our children and a volunteer. I then took a good look at the dark kitties in the cage together. My husband asked about them. I looked harder at them. I asked to hold one, since they were brother and sister and looked like they wanted some luvins’. I held one, don’t know which it was, and my husband started proceeding with the volunteer. I didn’t even ASK him if we could bring one home! Wow! Guess what? We brought them BOTH home. Not my idea, but surely not one I was going to argue about either!
They were dark charcoal gray, with silver markings in different ways, both kind of tabby-ish but not decidely so, either one. They came into our family and transformed things. I’ve written about Strider before in this blog. He was the male in this duo adoption. His sister — Dixie Blossom — is a nice cat, but rather stand-off-ish to me. She loves the children, but not me. Weird. First cat in the history of Me that didn’t love me. Hmmm. Her brother makes up for that though, more than makes up for it actually!
Flash forward to the present: On Saturday, September 7, 2002 into PetsMart we went. The same PetsMart where Cinnamon, Strider, and Dixie Blossom were found. Our newest member of the family was not to come from that location. We were at PetCo. and decided to take the little three month old home. I had to go through more than usual to get her, but it was easy compared with most adoptions other people go through.
We have children ages 6, nearly 4, and nearly 2. They didn’t like the idea of adopting a young kitten out to a family like ours. But then she, the lady, started to really look at us, and saw the familiarity I had with the kitten, and then submitted to the idea and accepted my paperwork. And then she added on to the deal to have my children each hold the kitten. Ah, a test! And I can say I never ONCE tried to persuade this lady to let us adopt, we silently and answering when asked, went through each step. No prep work for this test had been done at home. So, this was a natural test of truth. Each older child held the kitten. Success! The youngest only had to pet her. Gentle. Success! Yes! $85 later she was in our van in a cat carrier box.
Galaxy, 3 months old. Name change once home to “Scarlett” (good southern name!) She’s a toirtie – black, orange and white. Ugly and Beautiful, a swan in the making. She will be truly beautiful when she grows up and has thicker fur.
It’s so fun to have a kitten in the house too. It’s been years!Samantha is 10, our oldest cat. She was a wee tiny kitten when I brought her home in June 1992 (right before my husband and I were married.) Princess was about 4 months old in March of 1993 when she came into our home (caught in the wilds of the neighborhood, she was truly a wild domestic cat!). These two grew up together pretty much, and have become fuddy duddies without me realizing it.
So, when those two got over being kittens, we settled into adult cathood. Bleu was the oldest, born in Jan. 1989. He ran off and left us in 2000. So We were down to three cats before Strider and Dixie Blossom joined us. Now were are up to six! Welcome Scarlett! You are a delight and will be more of one when you get the other cats running and tumbling around! They are warming up to her. It’s only been not quite three days, and there is little hissing and batting going on. More community spirit. Play set for next week, if my sensese judge correctly.
Who had the worst time with this addition of Scarlett? Strider. He was MAD! I never saw him mad before. Never. Such a laid back lover he has always beed to me. He was jealous, no doubt. Well, today he’s much more himself, and nearly relaxed around Scarlett. Good thing, ’cause I still love him just the same. I have room to love many cats, and children.
But only ONE husband, and only ONE God (Triune, yet One).
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