kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty
Monday afternoon I went to the Tree House Humane Society (www.treehouseanimals.org) and magicked upon the best cat ever. She's a calico with big, beautiful sage green eyes, she has the delightfully ridiculous name of Prancy, and she is everything I want in a cat and never thought existed: she comes when she's called every time, not for treats but just because she wants lovin', she's litter trained and hasn't had any accidents (or deliberate messes, knowing cats), she doesn't chew on anything she shouldn't, she only scratches her post and her litter mat (which is fine by me), she has yet to hiss, scratch, or bite at anyone, and on the first day after bringing her home she was already socializing with everyone she met. She kneads her paws on my lap and legs (I love it when cats are paw-kneaders, I think it is so damned endearing). She doesn't scatter her food all over, and when I feed her she actually figure-eights and purrs around my legs for awhile *after* the food is in the dish before eating. She is friendly and loving with all five people she's met so far (me, Brady, Devin, Kyle, and Jan). She is methodical about wherever she jumps and walks, staring intently for several minutes before making any moves. When I brought her home from the shelter, which I had to do on the elevated train, she never mewled or scratched at the carrier bars, but lay down quietly and rested until we got home.
The best part, though? She is like a living stuffed animal: she LOVES sleeping in the crook of my arm, with my hand curled over her paw and her head on top of my hand. She sleeps there, at my side, or at my feet all night every night. She nuzzles and purrs constantly. As Brady put it, this cat values affection in the same way and to the same extent that I do; all she wants is to cuddle 24/7 with the required food and potty breaks. What's so impressive, to me at least, is that she was one of the shyest cats at the shelter: she hid under the cages for the restricted cats and only came out right when I was about to give up on picking the perfect cat -- she walked straight to me, hopped in my lap, purred and started kneading her paws. I was sold. I was told it would probably take her several days to adjust and that she'd hide a lot. Pshaw!
The best part, though? She is like a living stuffed animal: she LOVES sleeping in the crook of my arm, with my hand curled over her paw and her head on top of my hand. She sleeps there, at my side, or at my feet all night every night. She nuzzles and purrs constantly. As Brady put it, this cat values affection in the same way and to the same extent that I do; all she wants is to cuddle 24/7 with the required food and potty breaks. What's so impressive, to me at least, is that she was one of the shyest cats at the shelter: she hid under the cages for the restricted cats and only came out right when I was about to give up on picking the perfect cat -- she walked straight to me, hopped in my lap, purred and started kneading her paws. I was sold. I was told it would probably take her several days to adjust and that she'd hide a lot. Pshaw!