The Cat Situation

Our newest family addition: Welcome, SnowballOddly enough for a "cat writer," I haven't posted much lately in the way of cat updates. The main reason is that back in April we had to put our beloved Lucy-cat down.  The only thing I've written about that time is this brief entry in my journal:

Today we made the difficult decision to put Lucy down. I held her wrapped in a purple towel. My heart. My heart, my heart, my heart. 

The sting still hasn't diminished. But when something is taken away, often something is given. In our case, it was another cat.

I knew at some point we would get another cat, I just didn't know it would be so soon. But almost the week after Lucy left us, our neighbors asked if we would take over the care of their outdoor cat, Snowball. They were moving to a new neighborhood with busier streets and were concerned for his safety. 

I'm not a fan of outdoor cats (death rate is MUCH higher) but we love Snowball, so we said yes. He'd always been semi-affectionate with us, letting us get in a quick head scratch or tail rub. Although we talked about trying to bring him inside, we thought he would rebel, having been outdoors all his life.

Then it got hot. REAL hot. Concerned for his health, we brought him inside, bracing ourselves for the yowling, clawing menace that was sure to appear.

Uh...no. Snowball stepped inside, took a look around, gave a "Yeah, this will do," yawn and made himself at home on the oriental rug. Dude is here to stay.

So we have a new cat. Not just because he's inside now, but because we coughed up a handful of money at the vet. A pet doesn't count as being yours until you spend at LEAST $300 on them. Turns out Snowball needed some teeth pulled so he is now our cat, and then some. 

Snowball as a kitten. What a face!The kicker is, this is an affectionate cat. He's not huge on being petted for long periods of time, but he always wants to be near us. He follows us from room to room like a dog, settling in at our feet and gazing up at us with long, slow blinks. 

We've let him back out once or twice but each time he stays out for shorter periods. Our goal is to move him to being a 100% indoor cat. I don't think it will take long. 

Goodbye Lucy. Love you bunches. Welcome Snowball -- you furry little menace.

Cheers,

Dena