Do you remember the day....

you brought your cat(s) home? Whats their gotcha story?

This was asked on another site and I thought what a neat question....

My son was friends with a classmate whose family's cat had just had a litter of four kittens. Two were grey, one was white, and one looked like a Sealpoint Siamese. My son went to this classmate's house after school every day, and soon he became especially attached to the white kitten. The family that owned the cats was unable to find homes for any of the kittens, so they decided to take them to a relatives farm to live as barn cats. My son came home that evening and told me how much he wanted that white kitten and how this was our only chance to adopt him. We did have one cat already, and I decided a kitten would be nice too. We adopted the kitten the next day and named him Snowball. That happened a little over 11 years ago, Snowball is still with us, and I hope he will be for a few more years.

Bill and I moved into our house Dec. 28, 2001. By the middle of January, we were settled in and ready to get a pet. I had lost my four cats, due to a messy divorce and was in dire need of a pet.

We went to the Humane Society, looking for a kitten. It did not seem to be kitten season but we looked at everybody there, anyway. None of the cats were appealing to me, until we got over into the back corner. There was a medium-sized, red-tabby-and white fellow, hunkered down in his cage. His card said that he was 3 years old, named "Garfield" and had been given up because his owners "didn't have room" for him.

I took him out of the cage and sat down, to talk with him. He nestled onto my shoulder and seem quite content. I passed him off to Bill, to see how that would work out. (I've never seen an animal that didn't like Bill).

Since he was already neutered, we were able to take him home, that day. The name "Garfield" had to go, though. We don't do cliches. Since he was a redhead and proved to be mischievous, "Opie" fit him perfectly.

While i was driving Daisy home, she pooped pooped whilst i was driving on the highway. Oops!! i had to take an emergency stop, and do abit of clean up work (thank God for the box of wetnaps, paper towels, and extra plastic bags that were in the car!)

Daisy was quick to get acclimated with the house, and she went into hiding next. With a little encouragement with the help of a feather, she was socializing and friendly.

With Venus, i had to drive about 2 hours to pick her up. i cried while driving the car, as my Venus is deaf, and while listening to Jazz music, i just could not helped but to cry for her.

Venus is naturally socialable. i know it is better to separate the two kitties in the beginning, but somehow, with Venus there was little need for separation. (i guess it's because both kitties have such sweet temperaments!)

The next morning after i picked Venus up, i woke up to find her sharing my pillow. i was really overjoyed!

Cheers!

We had been talking on a Sunday night about how nice it would be to have a pet, but since we didn't have the $250 for a cat deposit we knew we would have to wait. The next night as I was getting ready for bed I heard the distinct sound of a kitten in distress. Long story short, we figured out she was stuck in between the walls of our apartment building, between our bedroom and the next apartment, so we made a hole in the wall. About 6 hours later, the most precious little black and white kitten peered tentatively through the hole. I didn't even know what a "feral" was, but that's what we had. A very scared little feral kitten whose Mommy-cat had taught her well in a few short weeks.

The third day we had Ophelia in our home, we thought she had escaped. We were so sad, and also having already spent $80 on kitten supplies, we decided to go to the mall. We always drown our sorrows by shopping. We "happened" into the pet store, "just to look", where this little black kitten chose us to be his new Mommy and Daddy. We couldn't say no to a kitten who had chosen us, so Trent came home. As soon as he meowed in the bedroom, Ophelia popped her little head out of her hiding place and they've been buddies ever since.

When we knew we were moving to our new house we decided we wanted a pet of some kind. I had a dog growing up I loved to bits.

However I decided I didn't want a dog because we did not have a fenced in yard, plus I knew my husband and son would not do dog duties... (ieick up the doggy poop and walk the dog).
I kinda mentioned to a gal who works at our bank how we were looking for 3 kittens. 2 for our family (I did not want them being lonely) and one for my sister (who had a cat already). She said her cat had a litter of 8 and her mom's cat had a litter of 7 and both would be ready at the beginning of Feb 2002 (this was in January).
So I started harrassing her every time Id go into the bank... were the kittens ready!?! Finally she said hers were not ready but her mom had 4 left did we want three. Well ya!
She was going to 'deliver' them on a Thursday... we waited and waited. No kittens. We waited through the weekend. Didn't hear from her. Tuesday I went to the bank and she said they would deliver them on Wednesday. Wednesday and Thursday nothing.... FINALLY on Friday Feb 22nd we got the kittens. Her mom drove all 4 over so we could choose.
Well we couldn't get them out of the box. My sister's boyfriend at the time was very patient... it took about 3 hours to get 3 out. The 4th kitten was a spitfire... (they never did give her away or fix her).

All 3 stayed at my sisters until Saturday morning. We just couldn't wait. We took 2 home and put them in what we dub "the cat room". We would go in and close the door, sit on the floor. Sunday I went over to my sister's and I decided Max needed to visit his sisters. Max never went "home" LOL. Probably a good thing as CJ didn't like Max. :/ Max to this day doesn't like loud noises or kids.


Ms Milo



Max





PepperAnne







Now...

Milo







Max

Well, since you're twisting my arm for the story....

My friend and I went to visit another friend before he left for the Army. While visiting, he brought us over to his grandmother's, whose neighbor's cat just had kittens. Honestly, back then, I wasn't much of a cat person, but who can resist playing with kittens? Well, the little grey and white one was the friendliest towards me... and he fell asleep in my arms, which pretty much did me in. My friend promised me that if my mother wouldn't let me keep him, he would take him until we could find him a home. (He already had 3 cats.) Anyway, the next morning, we picked up kitty supplies, went to say goodbye to my my friend that was leaving for the military, and went to pick up my new kitten... that was June 4, 2000. Now I can't even remember life without him.

Some baby pictures from June 5, 2000 - he was almost 8 weeks old then according to the vet.

Look at those ears!


And a sleepy picture:

I do indeed Rachel



We went to pick them up on 26th of July 2001, our friend Sandy gave us a lift. We refer her as Aunt Sandy, she's aunt to our cats, not to us . Anyway, we went to pick them, they we're running around there with each other and their sister, and their mommy and daddy came to sniff us.

We had seen all of them before of course, and those cat parents seemed to accept us immediately, they didn't mind us petting them, nor touching their kittens. We made up our minds to take the only black one there (there was 3 kittens, 1 male, black, and 2 females, both tabbies like Kitty) and the other tabby girl.

We were chatting with the owner, and were trying to pet the running kitties, but it was pretty hard. Then it was time to grab the ones we wanted and go home. It felt a bit cruel to just take them away from their parents, but... On the car back home, C & K just kept meowing, it broke my heart... I tried to talk to them and calm then down, but it made them meow even more

At home then, we showed first the litterbox, and the food, but they weren't interested. They just stayed in the transportation box and stared at us. This continued first few days, they did come out to go to the litterbox and eat, but that was all, they slept alot. Everytime we wanted to touch them, we got this huge HIISSSSSS back, it was hilarious. We didn't give up though, and now they love us touching them, and being held.

I remember their first meal, I was almost crying when they finally accepted food and milk... Now, everything goes smoothly with them...
Here's the first pics of them when at home, they both went into that corner...



And here are the first ever pics taken of Casper and Kitty:

I day I will never forget. I spent hours pulling ticks off a skin and bones pair of kittens. Never would have guessed how much i would love these guys! Here are a pics from about a week or two after we found them. I should have taken pics as soon as we saw them but i was so scared! I didn't clam down until Neo started to put on some weight.
then (neo has the orange coller on, his head hardle fits in the basket in the last pic now :LOL: )



Now:

Last April, Bill and I went to the Pima County Fair, planning to do the usual stuff: check out exhibits, eat bad-for-us food and do the midway rides. Acquiring a cat was not on our agenda.

Just inside the front gate the Humane Society had their mobile adoption RV set up. Naturally, we had to take a look. In one of the cages were three 10-week-old littermates: 2 torties and a male tabby. I just HAD to play with and cuddle them. Reluctantly, I put them back into the cage, thinking that I might go to the shelter on Monday.

One of the torties was jumping around, in the cage, whomping on her brother and sister and generally being cute. The adoption fee was $65.

We left the RV and headed toward the petting zoo. Bill and I got about 30 feet away when I said, "I've got $60 in my pocket." We did an immediate about-face and told the volonteer that we wanted the kitten. We were already in their computer files so the transaction took no time at all.

Since she wasn't spayed, we couldn't take her that day. We were told that she would be spayed, the next morning and we could pick her up that afternoon. Sunday morning, I got a call: the duty vet didn't want to work on such a small kitty and we would have to wait, until Tuesday. I was mightily disappointed.

When I got home from work, on Tuesday, there was that adorable little kitty, zipping through the house, getting into everything. For someone, who'd had major abdominal surgery, that morning she was awfully rambunctious. After testing several names, the only one that fit was "Rowdy".

Its been nearly a year and she shows no signs of slowing down. Actually, her full name is "Rowdy Dammit". She keeps the usually mellow Opie hopping and wrestles with dogs. Rowdy has been in every cupboard and closet, as well as the washer, dryer and dishwasher. No place is safe. Of course, we wouldn't want to be any other way.

Since I have 5 and getting 1 at a time I was only talk about 1,My first was Cheyanne,a seal point Siamese,I answered a ad in the paper,on the way to get her,we got lost,I started crying,saying she will be gone and I won't get her,she was the last one,and I really wanted her,finelly we found the house as we pulled in a car pulled in behind us,I threw the door open and saw her and scooped her up and said she's mine!She is 7 yearss old now,and i just love her!And now I have 5 Siamese!Cheyanne is the Queen,when she wants on your lap,she will come up,and when she don't you can not make her!

Sugarly and Pepperpot were bought for me the week before my wedding by my hubby. We had gotten into the habit of looking at kittens at pet stores in anticipation of us being able to get a cat together. We had gone to PJ Pet's Centre and I fell in love with Sugarly and John fell in love with Pepperpot We went home that night wishing to get them, but as John had just moved into the apartment and we were getting married in less then a week it didn't seem feasible. The next day when I went to the apartment after work the door was look and John wouldn't let me in - he said I would be mad. When he let me in he had the 2 kittens and he said that he couldn't leave them there

Excalibur was next. At the time I got him I was highly hormonal - I thought that I was pregnant, but I wasn't and I was upset. John made the mistake of thinking that seeing kittens would make me feel better. I saw Excalibur and it was love at first sight. I picked him up and he reclined in my arms and looked at me as if to say, excuse me, why aren't you scritching me yet? It was like I was shot by cupid with a machine gun

Merlin was a kitten of a rescued Feral. He was being adopted out of Petsmart thru an agency called Hobocat. He was ill and sweet and lonely as he wa s the last one (as he was ill). Poor John - I wouldn't leave without him! Now he is a major momma's boy!

Last, but certainly not least was Striker - my little gweeky head! My vet's office takes pregnant cats from the humane society and provides prenatal and post natal care. When the kittens are old enought they adopt them out from the vet's office. I am friendly with one of the assistants there and she called me and told me the sad story of the kitten who just wasn't getting adopted and now that they had a new batch of kittens to look at this slightly older cat (4 months) would probably have to go back to the humane society. Of course I rushed right over and adopted him because he was so sweet (he got antisocial later).

Hmm we'll I've had a lot of cats! haha so I'll spare you the story on all of them, and just talk about my current 3 perminate babies.

Asim and Isha were about 4 months old, I got them from the Fairfax Humane Society in Virginia. It was really all a blur to me because I was SOOO excited to be getting a cat. Asim and Isha are sister and brother, I remember I had a tough time convincing the lady there to adopt out "kittens" to me, because I had an infant living with me at the time, my daughter was barely but a month old. But I finally convinced her because I'm just such a sweety and had lived with many cats before. She told me that their previous owner was trying to bring them into the country illegally, she didn't say from what country, but that they were caught in California, and for whatever reason they were brought to Virginia to be adopted out. I believe they both had eye infections, and Isha had bad ear mites they were like POURING out of her ear, I dont know why this shelter didn't treat her for it, and frankly I think she's a little dumb, and can't jump very well because of how long they left her untreated.
Asims name was Blare, and Isha's was Binkie.

Tage... This was while I was living in Maine, a rescue group, whom I had never worked with yet from souther Maine called me up asking if I would foster 2 cats, and that some lady would be dropping them off to me. I asked if either were sick, or if they had their shots, she said they weren't sick and that one cat had all her shots.
Anyways, so I meet this lady, who is actually a girl, probably my age at the time if not younger, met up at mcdonalds, she came from a town about 2 hours away, she had them in boxes, like actual boxes, she didn't have a cat carrier, and then she told me their ages, and I think she told me their names but I can't remember their original ones anymore. Tage was only 6 weeks old, and I believe she said that she got him from a friend's cat who had just given birth to kittens in her barn. And THEN she said that she just wanted me to hold onto them for a month or two, until she got a new apartment and would come back for them. I nodded my head, but full well knowing that I would never see her again.
And I haven't! I adopted out the adult a while back, and Tage is still with me.

ed adopted me last year. i had bought a house the fall before and had wanted a cat since i lost my connor and emma several years before. (i lost a cat in a divorce, too, cindy. i've never met anyone else who had!)

we went to petsmart on a whim to look at cats for fun. i liked a mellow cream colored girl, but this little pistol called pumpkin kept singing and dancing for us. we left without a cat and hubby's oldest son kept begging us togo back and get the cat (he had been wanting a cat for a while.) finally the next day because hubby was being a pain and not talking about it, i just went to petsmart and got pumpkin (who became ed) and brought him home.

coco was the result of another "whim" trip to the humane society. i had been looking for a buddy for ed because he seemd to be getting bored with us fools who slept all night while we should be playing. there was a cat i wanted to look at there, but this little siamese would not quit talking to me and was all purring and charming. she asked to go home with us and, of course, i said yes. ti's funny because she was SOOOO outgoing at the humane society and at home she is such a scaredy cat. she knew what she was up to!

Two weeks after we suddenly lost our nice young female cat to FLUTD, I went to my local no-kill shelter to look for a new cat. Instead of being kept in cages, all the cats available for adoption were allowed to roam around inside of a large building. The shelter had about 20 or 30 cats, but none of them seemed just right.

Then I noticed a little all-black cat standing on top of a crate, and went to look at her. The cat kept arching her back up to be petted and had a nice loud purr. I was told that this was an eight month old Siamese-mix kitten who had been discovered wandering the streets of a near-by town alone six months previously, and rescued by the shelter. After I spent a little more time with this cat, I knew she was going home with me. Once we were home, Midnight actually seemed happy to be there.

We had 13 1/2 wonderful years with Midnight. She went to the Rainbow Bridge on August 27, 2001.

It's so neat to hear all your stories!

Darrell had Tigger when I met him. He told me that he was driving on this old road that wasn't used that much and saw a box on the side of the road, he pulled over and there was this one baby kitten inside. Without thinking of what his parents would think, he took her home immediately and named her Tigger. His family had two other cats and they were definitely the alpha cats, which is probably why Tigger was secluded in Darrell's bedroom most of her life.

When we moved out together into an apartment, we were both wroking nights and felt Tigger needed a playmate, so we walked into the S.P.C.A. one day to "look" and there were lots of beautiful cats, but we needed a baby because Tigger was the adult. Meowing like crazy was the little orange tabby that had been found wandering the streets. We took him out of the cage and he immediately climbed to my shoulders and meowed as if in triumph. lol. We took him home that day and I think Tigger is still pissed at us.

Roo had a hernia that had to be operated on when he was a baby, but the S.P.C.A. paid for this because it was within a week of having him. But he was sick and made our Tigger sick, but they wouldn't pay for that.

bump

these stories are great!

When I got my first cat Ginger 7 years ago, I was 18 and had just moved into my first apartment by myself. I also had just started dating this guy (now my hubby of 5 yrs) and he said he would drive me to pick her up, well on the way back she was roaming around on the front seat of his suburban and she had diarrea all over his leg. I though for sure that would be the last time I heard from him being that we had only been dating for about 3 wks. We still joke about it and Ginger is very attached to Bob.

bump...I need more stories LOL!

I remember the day I got Kahu - we had been in touch with the owner of a cat shelter here in the mountains about a deaf cat - We drove about 45 minutes to pick him up and I fell in love with him right away, he was sooo cute and Jake slept in the bedroom with him and it was my turn the next night, because we couldnt let him out as he had not been checked out by the vet yet.

Peedoodle - I was volunteering at Goodwill that day and Jake drove a while to get him and when I got home, I was surprised by this beautiful big grey cat and the first thing he did was rub his head on our chins. We were so in love with him!