How did you choose your cat or did your cat choose you?

Thought this might pull up some lovely anecdotes. Apologies if it's been posted before
Oscar came to us this time last year. It was lovely summery weather (very odd for April) and me and my boyfriend were having scrambled egg in the back garden. There's a plank missing from the fence that our back gate is on, and this little set of eyes appeared accompanied by a miaow that I swear I'd been hearing for days but never seen anything. Then, up he hopped over the fence, and onto the picnic bench, trying to pinch our eggs
He was very thin, but healthy enough. Anyway, he marched straight into the house and basically never left! We kept putting him back out just in case he found his way back home or his owners were looking for him. But he just kept on coming back
Anyway one day we thought he'd gone. He disappeared for 4 days and I was gutted. I came home from uni hoping and hoping he'd come back. And there he was! Turns out he'd ran into an unoccupied house down the road and got himself locked in. One of the neighbours saw him in the window and drove round the area looking for the van he'd seen outside the house. He found it (thank God for compassionate neighbours!) and got Ozzy out. Oscar had left a little package for them in the bathroom - easy to clean up, bless him. And back he came, and never left again!

Around the same time he arrived, my boyfriend's aunt had been to see a psychic who knew that her nephew had just moved into a new house. The psychic said that the house had been 'overseen' by someone who had passed (he described my bf's nan down to a T) and that it was going to be a lucky house. I like to play with the notion that Oscar is a little housewarming present I know that's a bit OTT, but hey ho. It's a nice thought.

Ooops, long post Oscar's life story!! Let's hear some of yours

Ollie chose me wandering around my college campus! It was worth getting in trouble for hiding him in my dorm for a semester and a half!

I lived in a rural area and all of my cats were born to feral cats in the neighborhood. Their moms would either deliver the kittens around my house or drop them off on my doorstep once they were weaned. I guess that none of them chose me, but their moms chose me.

id been looking all over for a pet (a chihuahua, actually) when my roomie talked me into getting a kitten. it was xmas time and id called EVERYWHERE! looking for one. finally someone gave me a phone number saying a lady was fostering kittens and *might* have some left. she did -- chloe -- because no one else wanted due to her emotional problems from the abuse.
the lady showed her to us and said she would be A LOT of work and asked if we could handle it. she looked skeptical and said we could always bring her back. we know how that ended

as for patchy. i actually dreamed she was in my apt, hiding in the top of my hall closet hissing at me. i had never seen a cat with such unique markings until then. it was so real that i jumped off the couch, freaking out looking for this cat, trying to figure out how in the heck it got in!

i went to petsmart 2 days later, just looking and there she was on the very end, all ratty looking and extremely underweight. i just started shaking when i saw her. i couldnt talk; i just pointed. my mom thought i was losing my mind LOL. (i did that years ago )

id told her i dreamed about a cat being in the apt but i didnt tell her it was patchy until several months later

Ling came from our last barn cat litter before all were spayed/neutered. She picked us. The litter was 2 boys and 3 girls - all the same color. I wanted to keep one of the boys (as I think they make better pets). But when we brought them all in for weaning, etc. at 5 weeks old, Ling was the first one out of the box everytime we went in the room and she would sit at our feet, scream and look up at you to be picked up. So we wound up keeping her.

Charlie was choosen by us. DH and I were at a show and he fell in love with the Ocicats and wanted one. We contacted breeders, got on a waiting list and within 2 months of our 15 1/2 yr old rex, Spooky, dying, we had another purebred cat.

Next spring, I have on order a baby brother Oci for Charlie - in cinnamon or cinnamon-silver from a different breeder (then Charlie)

My Sister had Adopted a Dog from the Pound but she was very mean so she took her back to a no Kill Pound. She wanted a Cat after that and went a Pet Store and found Siamese Mix Kittens. I gave her the Money and she went to get a Siamese looking one but they were all gone except Coco the only one that didnt look Siamese from the Litter. She is Black and White but the Vet can tell she has Siamese in her. I got her back from my Sister and have had her since. She is 16 now. Meeko came from my Brothers Cat Shadow. Sasha came from Shadow too and was one of 2 Kittens that lived. She is a small Cat and thin. Oreo came from Spaz my Brothers Cat and has Fcks. I told him I would take one that has problems and picked her without even seeing her. I said give me the Black and White one. I picked Sasha without seeing her too. I said I want the Blue one. It was a 2 Hour Drive to get Sasha and Oreo and well worth it.

With chester, I used to go to humane societies with an ex boyfriend because he liked looking at the dogs and I liked looking at the cats. My cat of 20 years had passed away about 8 month previously and I had enjoyed "just looking". Then, one day we went to a humane society near him, and went into the isolation room, where there was this little black and white kitten who looked at us and flipped upside down, pawing out the bars. I took him out of his cage and he licked my ex's nose (who disliked cats). It was love from that moment on! We went back the next day and I got my "little upsidedown kitty".
With Dynah-Bear....my best friend called me one day asking if I wanted 5 kittens and I laughed at her. Turns out her good friend found a litter in her garage and they were barely breathing (had left them overnight in october cold hoping the mom would come back). Neither of them knew what to do, so we went and picked them up. They were about a week old and most of them opened their eyes that night on our heating pad. Dynah was named "bear" because she grunted like a little black bear when she first woke up and when I adopted her I went with the Alice in wonderland theme and named her Dynah-bear. She truly is the pick of the litter!
And now I have a matching pair of tuxedo kitties!

Several came home because they were going to be euthanized at the humane society where I volunteer. Some showed up on my place, some were born to farm cats on my place. I have a couple fosters who should go home soon, too.

Tikki- I was about 9 when I got him. About 6 months before we got him we adopted a begal/coon hound mix from a local shelter and my dad was happy just to have him. Well that spring my mom and I started wanting a cat(I don't remember why) but my dad said no way in h*** were we to get a cat. He HATED cats with a passion because he had gotten attacked several times by wild farm cats growing up and was just much more of a dog person. Well one day we got this call from an elderly woman that she had a litter of kittens that she was putting up for adoption. And there was Tikki, underweight and TINY(he fit in the palm of my hand). My mom let me name him and I chose Tikki because of a character in a book I was reading for school. Well we took him home and it really was love at first sight between me, mom and him. Dad on the other hand took about 2 weeks before he fell in love with him, probably more in love than the rest of the family. Even the begal loved him, he used to drag him across the room by his head(Don't worry the cat loved getting this done...for some strange reason). Well I am 22 today and the begal is dead but Tikki is still alive and kicking...though he tips the scale at 18 pounds now so he has...filled out since we first got him. Its strange to think about all the life experiences I've been able to share with him. He was my little buddy(though he liked to spend most of his time with my older brother) and he even came to stay with me for about 2 weeks last summer. He lives with my parents now that I moved out of the house and my dad says that he loves him more than any dog. This cat converted him.

Tomnus- This is my personal cat that I got in October. He was about 5 months old at the time and when I walked into the pet's store I didn't even mean to be there. I was just driving past the store on the highway and saw the huge KITTEN SALE sign out front of the store and thought I would just look. I saw Tomnus curled up in a little ball sleeping in a large cage with 2 or 3 other cats. He was sooo cute and again a little small(about 6.5 pounds). I asked the worker to take him out of the cage and she did and handed him to me and the first thing he did was ripped the glasses off my face and started to chew on the ends while purring VERY loudly. He then started to eat(and nibble) each of my fingers...so I guess in a way we chose each other. He spent the 60 minute drive stretched out on my chest because I didn't have a carrier yet and the woman at the store just shoved him in a cardboard box and I didn't approve so I held him in my arms the entire time. Made driving interesting but we made it home safe. After hiding under my bed for about 8 hours he came out and started to rub my legs and we have been attached at the hip since. He is 11 months old now and has grown a lot since then. He is about 10 pounds and a little pig(takes after daddy here). Sleeps next to me in bed every night and i wouldn't have it any other way(once he learned not to sleep by my legs...I tend to roll around a lot and he would get kicked).

Chynna:

She was a happy ending to a tragic story

I had a cat named Kira. She was a gorgeous torty that I got from a strawberry farm when she was just a wee kitten. I took her in to get spayed when she was close to 3 years old, when she started to spray. Until then she really didn't have any "symptoms" of going into heat.

I took her to a vet not far from where I lived to be spayed. The vet talked me into having her declawed as well. I didn't know much about it at the time, and I went along with his recommendation.

He called me at work after the surgery and told me that Kira was diabetic and then went into a long ramble about how difficult it was to treat a diabetic cat, and then about insulin and insulin shock etc. etc. etc. He had me terrified out of my mind. He told me that the most humane thing was to euthanize her because she wouldn't have any quality of life.

My heart was breaking and I listened to him.

I called my friend in tears. She couldn't believe what I was telling her. She called the Emergency Vet office here and talked to the chief of the Vets and told him what was going on. He was aghast and said that there was no reason to have her euthanized and that at 3 she was not diabetic. He called me at work and asked me if I still wanted to go through with it. I told him NO! He called the vet and told him to stop. It was too late

The guy had already done it. The chief told him to revive her. Apparently the vet didn't bother to measure the amount of stuff he gave her. Just drew it up in a syringe. Anyway, he managed to revive her.

I took her home but she was never the same. I think she had brain damage.

Plus in hindsight her behaviour was text book declaw. Peeing on every flat surface there was.

Within 3 months I had to throw out a love seat and couch because she had peed on them so many times that I couldn't clean it anymore. They were the type of furniture that the fabric is upholstered right onto the frame so there were no cushions that could be removed. And the smell was right inside the frame. She was peeing on my bed spread 2 and 3 times a day and I couldn't afford the laundry bill.

I took her to the Humane Society in the hopes that she could find a home with someone who knew what to do because I was a total loss. I was devestated. I loved that kitty so much and I felt like such a failure

A few days later I heard meowing outside my bedroom window one night. The next morning I went out to go to work and saw this cute little white cat. She was the same cat that the security guards had been looking after and trying to find her home.

Apparently someone abandoned her in the stairwell. After a week, they couldn't find her home so they put her outside.

I took her in because it was a very busy street with buses and trucks. I had full intention of taking her to the Humane Society after work.

A lady that was also leaving at the same time as me had a small dog. So she took me upstairs to give me some kibble for the cat. Chynna ate it as I was taking her back to my apartment.

When I got home she was sleeping on the bed. She had used the litter box and ate all of the doggie kibble.

I picked her up. She started to purr and put her front legs around my neck and gave me kisses on the nose. That was it! She adopted me and she's been with me every since.

She is going to be 16 years in May and still is a real love bug and acts like a kitten at times, running around.

I have to go out right now. I'll give Abby's story when I come home.

Well, I picked Snickers and Jazz but Oreo picked me. I was going to adopt another cat but she was already adopted. So I looked at the other cats and really did not feel connected to any of them but every time I opened Oreo's cage, she climbed onto my shoulder and just clung to me. I could not turn her away after that.

Salem and Sabrina found us...
we went to 2 shelters to look at cats..I specifically went looking for black cats...because well..i've always wanted one...I saw 2 black kitties that i really liked at one shelter. We took a look at the kitties a week before we planned on getting them...and they were still there when we went back..but they never told us that I needed a signed note from my landlord to get them....even though we both mentioned that we were renting a house the week before..I asked what do I need to bring? ID with my current address..ok..I had that...

So we were turned away...I was so sad....when we came home..that we ended up going to the humane society and looked at the kitties there...we didn't need a signed note to get the cats...

I looked at all the black cats they had there...and I wish I could've taken them all home..but...
Salem (who was in a cat condo)...kept looking at us..and he walked up to the glass door where we were standing and put his paws on the doors...and cried...
that did it for me. He was kinda skinny too...when you petted him..he felt pretty bony....

Sabrina on the other hand was in another section of the humane society..she was in a little cage all by herself...
when we opened up the door to take a better look at her..she reached her paws out to me...(she was lying down)..and looked at me with those big eyes...she meowed at me and I swear she was asking me to take her home...
so..I did..
Salem has gained weight since moving in with me ..and is a happy cat...although he seems to like to play in the mud...

Sabrina likes to roll on the cement and chew on some grass..she also likes to talk to me...often telling me how her day went...

so..thats my story.

Abby:


Chynna was with me for 5 years when I changed jobs at the hospital. I went from working 8 hour shifts to 12.5 hour shifts. I felt that was a long time to be away and leave Chynna alone. I decided to get her a companion so she wouldn't be lonely.

My friend's daughter's former room-mate had a cat that had kittens. She had one kitten left that was 12 weeks old. I didn't know if it was a boy or girl kitty. I said I would adopt it. The girl brought her over one evening, and it was love at first sight...at least for me! She was an orange and white kitty with gorgeous amber eyes and so tiny!

I adopted her. It took her awhile to adopt me though. Poor little thing was scared, and then she had to contend with Chynna who decided that she didn't like the new kid on the block and kept stalking and attacking her. It was a few days before Abby finally decided that I was on her side! And she started to spend more time near me. She's never been one to like being held except on her terms, but she spent lots of time wanting to snuggle with me, especially in the bathroom. The rest of the time she was laying beside me or in a spot where she could see me, and following me around like my shadow.

She and Chynna still don't like each other very much. They simply tolerate and co-exist for the most part. In fact, Abby didn't even seem to miss Chynna when Chynna was in the hospital. I do know that Chynna tends to look for Abby though, if for nothing else just to torment her

Root:

We got Root after our cat Rajah died from diabetes, we had waited about 1 year after she died to try to get another cat. One day, my cousin called me about an all black girl cat at a pet store about an hour from our house. We decided to check it out because our daughter, only about 7 then, really wanted another cat. So we went, but didn't really want a girl cat, we had already decided earlier we wanted a boy. We went into the play area and saw the most painful sight, a kitten who was skin and bones and just as lovable as can be. As you probably guessed, he came home with us that day and has been a perfect cat ever since.

Samba:

His story isn't really long. Samba was given as a gift at Christmas. My husband got him for me from the humane society and he is a very lovable cat.

Tubee:

Tubee was a very big suprise. My husband said after Samba we could not get another cat. He loves cats, but our house isn't very large. But one day during the summer he called me from work and said get both of the kids and meet me at the house. We didn't know why, but we did what his said. About ten minutes after we got home, he arrived with an open topped box with a little tiny, very dirty, kitten. He was only about 2 weeks old, but we were in love. So we bottle fed him until he got bigger. And now he is the king of the house, the other cats even spoil him. Even when he is sleeping, you can see that look in his eyes that say "you know you love me"

If you would like to see pictures of tubee, you can follow this link to his youtube video:


Manda

Here is more to Meekos story. The reason I got Meeko was because Stripe was dying from Crf. I picked Meeko because she looked alot like Stripe. Stripe liked Meeko too. Stripe was Pts when Meeko was three Months. Meeko is so much like her I can not believe it.

arrival stories:
Firefox [aka 'Puter Bug

]

I took her in from the back yard - a group of ferals lives there, on & off. She was very close to death, but I've nursed her back to complete health!

Java:

Java is another foundling - this time, a student of mine told me about a nice, friendly cat in the parking lot. There she was, a sweet little calico girl about 3.5 months old. I left word at the front office in case anyone called looking for her, but no one ever did. Their loss!

Cable:
Cable was found, at about 8 weeks of age, in the road in front of the school where I teach. Being known as the resident 'cat lady', the students' teacher brought her to me. She only weighed about a pound & was covered with fleas. She's since grown into a beautiful, healthy princess!

Chip:
I found Chip on Petfinder.org. I really was looking for either a blue or orange male... but his story tugged at my heartstrings. He was found outside, living as a stray. Not so unusual, except Chip had been declawed! I took an hour-long drive [one-way] to get him from his foster mom. He's been worth it, too!

Pixel [&

Mouse

]:

Pixel came to live with me, along with her littermate, Mouse, in 1997, my first year to teach in Krum, Texas. I got them from a local woman whose cat had an accidental litter. Her name comes from the Heinlein book, "The Cat Who Walked Through Walls". Mouse's name was chosen to go with it... & that started a theme!

In no case, has either of us made the choice, really.

Shasta was the last female of a litter of a friend of a friend, delivered to me by my friend.

Gryphon and Nibs were being re-homed.

Suzy and Sam were the last pair of a litter, found by my SIL by word of mouth, and saved for us for three days until we could make the trip to pick them up.

Cindy and Fawn were orphans rescued and fostered by a friend of my MIL.

They were all kitties who who came to us by word of mouth (Know anyone who wants a kitten/cat?) when I/we happened to be ready.

with squishy, hammy and I were talking about getting a kitty and decided we wanted a little kitten, a friend of ours was talking about having two kittens that he needed to rehome. we told him that we wanted a cute little female one and he said he had what we wanted. he disappeared for about 15 minutes (he lives across the street) and came in with this little tiny ball of fur. he sat her on my lap and i fell in love with her. Then she started crawling around on hammy and he fell in love.

with smokey, we had talked about getting a buddy for squishy but didnt really know what to chose. We wanted to rescue a kitty or find a special needs one. We saw an ad for a sweetest male kitty that needed an owner.
He was a stray that was near death, and needed a forever home. We saw his pic and decided this was the kitty we wanted. We went to pick him up and he loved to be petted and loved on and showed appreciation for being loved on so we brought him home and he has become a very very awesome boy and buddy for squishy!!!!

From youngest to oldest:
Go - found almost drowned in my swimming pool. He was maybe 2 weeks old so I think something must have happened to his mom.
Ichi, Ni, San, Yon - found in a plastic bag on a busy sidewalk. They were very young, eyes still closed.
Ashley and Buddy - two starving and inseparable strays. They were part of my TNR program but they refused to "return".
Wawa - victim of cat and human abuse. I found him with abcesses due to cat fights and his fur and skin were burned from someone throwing hot oil or boiling water at him. His jaw is out of place from what, I do not want to know.
QT - my sister's cat. Although originally meant to go with my sister to Canada, QT stayed with me.
Skinny - found pregnant and starving. She wore a collar when I found her, so she was either abandoned by her previous owner or she got lost.
Joji - a feral living in the garden of the house when I moved in.