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Thursday, March 8, 2012

Chum

Every time I hear that a cat has been adopted from our local shelter,  I am thrilled. It is often a very big decision and if the adopter only wants one cat in their home, that's fine. But, when I am cat-sitting and in and out of a home once or twice a day, it is always better for the cat (and me) if there are at least two. I used to think that cats didn't need a feline companion but I have come to realize that they have a more fulfilled life if they can share it with their own kind.
They learn from each other and have their own language. The personality of the cat is bigger and brighter it seems.
 There is a 'window of opportunity' to introduce a second cat easily and I believe that is in the first year. After that, cats can become very possessive of their owner and their belongings; (yes, we are pretty much equal to the importance of  'their stuff', like their bed, food dish, favorite window spot, for instance) and tend to not take to the new intruder as easily. So, I always recommend a second cat to be introduced early in the resident cat's life. Of course, there is always the exception...like Ford and Jack.
I cared for Ford last year. A big, ol grey tabby guy, around 5 years, that was as sweet as sugar. I would arrive and he would fall on the floor with gratitude. He would snuggle, play endlessly with a string and always clean up his bowl and use his box. He was the perfect kitty client BUT he was lonely.
I received a call from his owner last Fall about a stray that was hanging about his door begging for someone to notice it. Did I know of anyone who could take it in? I had Annie and her kits and my inn was full so he called the shelter. At that time, they had over 200 cats. He would take the cat there but with a heavy heart.
That was the last I heard from him until last week.
"I have 2 now, I caved, he laughed." So, meet Jack.
Isn't he handsome. Look at those front legs (which never stopped moving, by the way) and the teeny feet.
Another fabulous specimen of the feline species. A big boy, healthy & now neutered and gorgeous. These two are buds now and Ford is a happier, albeit chubbier, cat since the last time I saw him. His owner told me they get along great and have a few daily rituals they love such as 'chase the treat'. That explains the chubbiness but hey..we could all trim down a bit, right? I chase a few treats myself each day and Lord, look what I had last night
.
Today when I left the 'boys' I felt so happy knowing they would be 'hangin' out' together on the back window-sills, facing the woods and enjoying the antics of the spring-time wildlife.

I left little Josephine after her visit today and filled up a bowl of food for the stray cat that is being fed on the client's property. This is another lost soul, no doubt, and I will find out more about it but for now, it is being fed by someone who cares. It's a start to a second chance.

Hoping for more sun tomorrow. The rain has washed away most of our snow.

hugs, Deb

7 comments:

  1. Those fish and chips and Guinness look SO GOOD!!
    Love all the kitty pics. We think all our cats are more content since Emily showed up. Who knew four was the magic number? They all just seem to click!

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  2. Love those intertwined tails! lol My four seem to enjoy each other's company for the most part...a little jealousy between Baby Kitty and Ozzie. He seems to know she is the CEO and doesn't like that! lol Your food looks yummy! Happy weekend!...hugs...Debbie

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  3. I love that photo of you and Kane outdoors in your sidebar. You look radiant and happy. And you have the prettiest skin! Jack is a real cutie. Tails intertwined; pure happiness...
    Brenda

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  4. When each of our 13 were introduced , the family dynamics changed ....but we remained a family. I see the cats interacting and I know that they all rely on one another...and love one another.
    Jane x

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  5. I wish I had two cats again but Charlie isn't having any of it at age 13. I think the last cat we had (gone before I started blogging) terrorized him and he now loves being an 'only cat'. Of course we are home all the time and so he is seldom lonely. I'm always glad to hear of another sweetie finding a new home! Hugs, Linda

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  6. Because I adopt kitties that are old, ill or both, my cats don't even pay much attention to a newcomer any more. It's like "new cat, ok , been there, done that. What's next...yawn". I do believe that's most cats benefit from the presence of another cat. I just adopted a senior who is deaf, and has been found to have intestinal cancer. When it came time to meet "the family", he jumped up on the couch and sat down llike that had always been his spot. I love him beyond belief. He is a four foot declaw found aged and abandoned on the streets. I hope when they are old, his people are treated exactly the same way as they treated him. Grrrr!

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  7. WOW! Thanks for adding our pic to your side bar! I am fighting a nasty cold and it made me feel very special today.
    Have a fantastic weekend. Looks like a sunny one!

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