New Additions

BF and I had talked for a while about getting "our cat." A few days ago we went into PetSmart to pick up a feedbag for Squirrel and Panther, and stopped by the adoption display...where not one but two of the cats there reached out and stole our hearts. The next day, we went to the shelter to do the paperwork, and then back to the store to pick up the cats. (I told him several times that he was going to have to do the picking because I would want all of them. He did a good job by keeping it to two.)

Dora is the tortie, and Ginger is the orange tabby. They're living with me becasue BF's place is not really set up for cats, and I have proper things for them to climb and scratch on. They're so sweet and cuddly, and Ginger also has a bit of the typical "crazy orange tabby" thing going on. They've settled in well; Squirrel and Panther are having more issues with the new situation than the new cats are, but they're coming around too. Ginger and Squirrel got on fine from the beginning because they're both kind of cautious personalities so they won't invade each other's space; for a while at first they even shared the "cave" under the bathroom sink. Dora and Squirrel keep getting into staredowns. Panther doesn't want anything to do with either of them (and even hissed at me a bit, probably out of blaming me for bringing those two "interlopers" into her home).

I'm going to need more cat furniture, because Ginger's a climber (if it has a top surface she'll climb onto it...the counter, the fireplace, the bookshelf...) and I want her to have enough proper things to climb on to keep her happy. She's also smart--I'd gotten another litterbox and not put the litter in it yet, and she climbed into it and got my attention and pawed at the bottom of the box to remind me that the litter was missing. "Hey Human Slave, this isn't quite right..." And she's a darling. She took longer to warm up to new people (Dora was practically immediate) but once she decided to trust us, it was all cuddles, all the time.

Dora's an absolute sweetie. So far, she isn't interested in treats--neither the good ones that the other three like, nor the Greenies sample that the shelter gave us. (None of them like the Greenies...I gave up and put them out next to the food, and they're still there.) She loves catnip, though, and went so far as to steal Squirrel and Panther's favorite catnip mouse; this may not end well And she's smart too; she's already figured out what's acceptable to scratch (the mini-cat-tree, the cardboard scratching brick thing, and the futon pad because it's so worn out I don't care any more) and what's not (the doorframes, walls, and floors, especially those most "fun" scratching areas that have double-sided tape on them).

I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to have these two, because they were in shelters for a long time--since late last April, that we know of for sure, and possibly longer. I can't believe the shelter let them have so long to find a home. Maybe that's why they were in the PetSmart display, if their time was almost up; I'm not sure how that works. Anyway, it would be horrible for these two sweeties to have gone to waste.

Pics to follow as soon as I find my camera or get another (my cell phone camera has a crappy zoom and they're always across the room when they do something cute).

O so glad you guys took two!

It makes me happy to know that two kitties from shelters now have a great home.

Congrats!!

But....I'm confused. You got two more cats, but say you can't afford to get the original cats spayed?

It's very hard on your females, physically and mentally, to go into heat over and over and over for four years.

Not to mention every day they are at a higher risk for pyometra, which is a deadly uterine infection (that costs a lot more that a routine spay to fix, if they survive.)

Please, find a clinic and get those females spayed before it's too late.

Originally Posted by otto

But....I'm confused. You got two more cats, but say you can't afford to get the original cats spayed?

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The new cats are technically BF's (he paid the adoption fee and bought a feedbag); they're living here because his place isn't set up for cats and the place he's moving to in a few months is owned by people who would want them declawed. I was not going to let that happen if I could do anything about it.

I'm getting things lined up on the spay...it's taken longer than I meant for it to (every time I think I'm ready, I have a slow subbing month or something), but it will happen. BF got a referral for a vet to give the new ones the once-over for coming out of the shelter (they tested clean on all serious stuff or I wouldn't have let them be in the same room with my two, but he wants to get them checked anyway). I'll go along for that and if I get a good sense from the place, I'll start on arrangements to get my two in. So, I expect it'll be dealt with by this coming summer.