We Adopted a Cat!

     This past Saturday we adopted a cat from a local animal shelter.  :)  I've wanted a cat for years, and now felt like a good time to get one.

     We considered getting a dog because the kids would love one, but Mc predicted that a dog would stress me out, and he's probably right.  Dogs require a lot of attention and they're more needy, and in that sense they're like little kids.  I need ways to de-stress, and a couple of weeks ago I realized that a cat would likely help in that regard.  I've always loved cats; I grew up with dogs, but I consider myself a cat person.  A cat is different enough from a dog and from little kids that it would relax me rather than stress me out.  Plus, both Mc and I would rather live with a cat than a dog; just personal preference.  A few friends and family members are unfortunately allergic to cats, and so we first looked into getting a hypoallergenic breed (listed here: http://www.petmd.com/cat/wellness/evr_ct_hypoallergenic_cat_breeds# ), but those loved ones aren't at our house often enough to sway us against getting a cat.  So I did a lot of research on cats to see what they need to be healthy and happy, and last week we went to a few animal shelters to look for our new pet.

     The ASPCA has created something they call "Meet Your Match", where they've broken down the personalities of dogs and cats into categories, and then based on what you're looking for in a dog or cat, you're more likely to be paired up with one that will fit your personality and your lifestyle (and thus you're more likely to keep the pet and not return it to the shelter or abandon it or have both you and the cat/dog be miserable with each other).  Here's the link:  http://www.aspca.org/adopt/meet-your-match 

     The sex and age of the cat didn't matter to me.  We had two main requirements: the cat must be in good health and it must be good with little kids.  We went to two shelters with no luck, and then at the third one on Saturday afternoon we found one that will be wonderful for our family.

     He had been abandoned by his previous owner.  A neighbor found him and named him Buddy Black Cat and took care of him until the shelter could take him and put him up for adoption.  He's one-and-a-half years old and he's a sweetheart.  He definitely has a Sidekick personality.  He doesn't like to be picked up and held, but he loves to be around people, he loves to be petted, and he's a purring machine!  I briefly considered naming him Harley because his constant deep purring reminds me of a Harley Davidson motorcycle off in the distance, but he has too sweet of a personality to be named after a Harley motorcycle.  ;)  We know from the gal who took care of him that he doesn't like catnip but he loves string, and he was a very good mouser.  And I've seen that with the string toys I've given him to play with-- he has strong hunting instincts (unlike Garfield and older cats).  ;)



     When we first brought him home we put him in our room away from the kids.  When we let him out of the crate he went straight under our bed, but within 10 minutes he was out and exploring, and 10 minutes after that he wanted to leave the room and look around the house.  We put the kids in bed first and then we let him roam.  He warmed up to Mc and me right away.  He explored cautiously but bravely, and he loved to stay right by Mc and me as we walked and as we sat at the table reading books (our power was out for 26 hours thanks to a big wind storm that day, and so Mc and I were reading books by flashlight that night).

     I ordered some cat shelves and a cat tree, and those should be coming today and tomorrow.  I looked at our local PetSmart first, but I didn't see any wall- or window-shelves, and every one of those cat trees were twice as expensive as the comparable ones I found on Amazon.com.  As soon as they arrive I'll set them up so the cat will have places up high to go so he can feel safe and he can be around us while getting used to us, all while being out of Little One's reach.  He's still scared of our son because both kids are very excited about the cat but they also just spent 6 weeks around my parents' two dogs, and our son doesn't yet understand that cats are very different from dogs.  So we're keeping them away from each other and letting our son see the cat in short intervals until the cat is comfortable around him.  The cat has adjusted very quickly to our house and to us so far, so I think it'll happen quickly.

     I'm excited about creating a cat-friendly house.  Cats in general don't like being on the ground; they prefer to be up high so they can see everything around them and so they can feel safe.  The vaulted ceiling in our living room has so much potential!  I want to create a really enjoyable space up there for the cat, and it'll be high enough that it won't make the room look cluttered at all.

     I already love our cat.  We're naming him Obsidian, and he will have a good home with us.