Gabby-Kitty
...I seem to be plastering this everywhere...
My step-mother, my sister, and I went to the cat shelter a town over. I went in interested in a couple who looked pretty friendly and like they might be a good fit for me. They weren't, or at least, they were too distracted to pay much attention to me, so I didn't get a good sense of their personalities when they're not hissing at each other. The cat the staff recommended when I told them what I was looking for, however, is perfect for me.
Her name is Gabby because she gabs a lot. She was pretty quiet when I first met her, but then, I woke her from a nap and then let her curl up in my lap. I actually got to take her out of her enclosure to bring her into the bigger one that humans can stand up in. I said hello and petted her for a second before sliding my hands under her to pick her up. The staffwoman who was watching instantly deduced that I'm a cat person, and told me that the way I picked her up was very good. I was a little surprised. I kind of forgot that not everyone looking for a kitty would necessarily know how to handle a sleeping one gently.
So I brought her to the big enclosure and sat on the floor. And then she was in my lap, enjoying herself. I even shifted position on the floor once, with no protest from her (take *that* Scooter :P--Siamese in our house who objects to being jostled once she's settled). I also ended up in the chair in there because I couldn't take the floor any longer. She trotted right back to me and jumped in my lap and started purring and cleaning herself.
At that point my sister was out of the enclosure and saying hello to other kitties around the room. Then my step-mother left the cage. I finally decided it was time to get up because how could I choose another cat who wasn't Gabby? I couldn't, that's how. So I carried her out, and put her gently back on her little shelf, and she instead meowed and tried to follow me out. I didn't have the heart to tell her no, and the little girl who seemed to be the daughter of one of the staffwomen told me I could sit in one of the chairs provided and put her on my lap there. I ended up filling out the adoption forms with Gabby still on my lap. Well, mostly. A woman showed up with a stray cat she thought was injured, and they brought her and the cat into a back room. Gabby was interested at that point, and suddenly perked up and went running to investigate. My sister caught up with her and carried her back over, and held her for a few minutes while I finished the forms. Then Gabby went back in her cage, and I had a discussion with the woman who took the application.
When Gabby was rescued, she was nearly fur-less and dumpster-diving and "emaciated". She has plenty of fur now, but she needs to be fed measured amounts a couple times a day because she will overeat if I just leave food out for her. She apparently also has a weepy-eye, which the woman suggested might be allergies and I should think about having a vet treat her for it every couple of months. She's also "older than two and less than six" years old. So she's not a kitten, but she's a wonderfully cuddly cat, which is just what I need. Her energy levels should be better suited for an apartment* than a kitten's would be, as well.
*I'm currently assigned to a studio apartment that includes a kitchen, although I'm not guaranteed to keep it if I have a pet. I'm not sure where they would relocate me, though. I also haven't actually seen my apartment, so I'm not sure how big it is, but the fact that it's senior housing and labelled as an "apartment" tells me that it's probably a normal-ish size for an apartment, rather than the size of most singles in dorms.
At any rate, I really want to be able to bring this cuddle-bug of a cat home so that she and I can have each other for the rest of her life. I really, really, really like her, and she warmed right up to me. She's not the prettiest cat I've ever seen, but I hope that in a couple of weeks, she will be *my* cat, and that's all that matters. <3
My step-mother, my sister, and I went to the cat shelter a town over. I went in interested in a couple who looked pretty friendly and like they might be a good fit for me. They weren't, or at least, they were too distracted to pay much attention to me, so I didn't get a good sense of their personalities when they're not hissing at each other. The cat the staff recommended when I told them what I was looking for, however, is perfect for me.
Her name is Gabby because she gabs a lot. She was pretty quiet when I first met her, but then, I woke her from a nap and then let her curl up in my lap. I actually got to take her out of her enclosure to bring her into the bigger one that humans can stand up in. I said hello and petted her for a second before sliding my hands under her to pick her up. The staffwoman who was watching instantly deduced that I'm a cat person, and told me that the way I picked her up was very good. I was a little surprised. I kind of forgot that not everyone looking for a kitty would necessarily know how to handle a sleeping one gently.
So I brought her to the big enclosure and sat on the floor. And then she was in my lap, enjoying herself. I even shifted position on the floor once, with no protest from her (take *that* Scooter :P--Siamese in our house who objects to being jostled once she's settled). I also ended up in the chair in there because I couldn't take the floor any longer. She trotted right back to me and jumped in my lap and started purring and cleaning herself.
At that point my sister was out of the enclosure and saying hello to other kitties around the room. Then my step-mother left the cage. I finally decided it was time to get up because how could I choose another cat who wasn't Gabby? I couldn't, that's how. So I carried her out, and put her gently back on her little shelf, and she instead meowed and tried to follow me out. I didn't have the heart to tell her no, and the little girl who seemed to be the daughter of one of the staffwomen told me I could sit in one of the chairs provided and put her on my lap there. I ended up filling out the adoption forms with Gabby still on my lap. Well, mostly. A woman showed up with a stray cat she thought was injured, and they brought her and the cat into a back room. Gabby was interested at that point, and suddenly perked up and went running to investigate. My sister caught up with her and carried her back over, and held her for a few minutes while I finished the forms. Then Gabby went back in her cage, and I had a discussion with the woman who took the application.
When Gabby was rescued, she was nearly fur-less and dumpster-diving and "emaciated". She has plenty of fur now, but she needs to be fed measured amounts a couple times a day because she will overeat if I just leave food out for her. She apparently also has a weepy-eye, which the woman suggested might be allergies and I should think about having a vet treat her for it every couple of months. She's also "older than two and less than six" years old. So she's not a kitten, but she's a wonderfully cuddly cat, which is just what I need. Her energy levels should be better suited for an apartment* than a kitten's would be, as well.
*I'm currently assigned to a studio apartment that includes a kitchen, although I'm not guaranteed to keep it if I have a pet. I'm not sure where they would relocate me, though. I also haven't actually seen my apartment, so I'm not sure how big it is, but the fact that it's senior housing and labelled as an "apartment" tells me that it's probably a normal-ish size for an apartment, rather than the size of most singles in dorms.
At any rate, I really want to be able to bring this cuddle-bug of a cat home so that she and I can have each other for the rest of her life. I really, really, really like her, and she warmed right up to me. She's not the prettiest cat I've ever seen, but I hope that in a couple of weeks, she will be *my* cat, and that's all that matters. <3