Sophie Got a Brother Today!

I've been keeping an eye out for possible "siblings" for Sophie for weeks now, and today my heart was stolen by a handsome 9-month-old boy who I've named Jack. The people at the PetSmart location where I came across him said he was very shy, but as soon as they opened the cage for me, he came right up and nestled his head under my chin. Um - do I need any more convincing?

Unfortunately, Jack "needs some work." I noticed as soon as I saw him that he was very scrawny - his little hip bones are protruding! I have some of the dry food that they fed him in the shelter, but I'll be switching that (Purina) for a healthier variety ASAP - just want to make sure I do it slowly so as not to shock his system. he also wolfed down the small amount of wet food I just gave him - he's definitely hungry! His coat is greasy and dull, but I'm hoping that some combing, and proper nutrition, will help that and I don't have to subject him to a bath.

Worst of all, he's sick. I didn't notice in the store, with all the other meowing cats, and the traffic noise, etc, but in a quiet room, you can hear him breathe, like a little Darth Vader. At the vet's advice, we're "scrubbing up" like surgeons before going near Sophie!

I've made a nice cozy home for him in the bathroom, where he is hiding behind the commode (although he's a total attention-hog and runs right over if anyone goes inside), with fresh water, blankets, food, toys, and a litter box, and my mother and I have been going in periodically to sit with him - he's delighted to see visitors each time and immediately starts head-butting for some scratches! I'm letting my mother do a lot of the attention-giving for now, so I can spend time with Soph, so she doesn't think I'm replacing her!

For her part, Sophie knows there's a new animal around - hard NOT to, Jack is a loudmouth! So far, she seems cautiously curious. She keeps trying to get close to the bathroom door to get a good sniff, but any loud noises throughout the house will send her scurrying back into "her" room.

Here is Jack - this is a camera phone picture, I haven't had a chance to get the digital camera in there with him yet.

Thanks all! I'm so excited, I've been looking for a month now, and each cat that I really liked, ended up not being a good fit for this household...so it was such a good feeling to bring this little guy home! He's sort of sad right now, with all his sneezing, and I can hardly bear to touch his back, it's so bony (I've pretty much been saying "How COULD anyone do this to you???" over and over all afternoon)...but that's all over now, it's healthy, happy, and Spoiled Rotten from here on in!

Also, it just hit me that I'm matching names with the "famous" pair, from "Rosie, Sophie, and Jack" fame! So I thought I'd share his name story; it's actually been picked out since the minute Sophie got HER name! Don't know if there are any Stephen King fans around here, but there is a book called Black House (it's a sequel to an earlier novel, "The Talisman"), and at one point, there is a really sweet scene where the main character meets a woman named Sophie, and falls instantly head-over-heels in love. The main character's name, of course, is Jack.

Here's another pic - I'm sure I'll be overloading the boards for the next week or two! You can see a little better here just how skinny he is, his poor little sides are all sucked in.

You know, you're right, I think I'm looking at the pics with my mind's eye rather than my eyes! It may not even be as bad as it seems to me - he's definitely underweight, but he seems like he may have a lankier, more athletic build than "curvy" Sophie. I just get so outraged that people let animals get into this condition!

Resisting the urge to hover and giving him some quiet time, although I feel so bad for him - he keeps sneezing himself awake every time he gets comfortable. Cannot WAIT to get him in to see the vet tomorrow and start him on some meds!

Jack's back from the vet - and it wasn't as bad as I feared (call me the queen of overreaction!). He does have a URI, but no chest congestion, and the vet said he's only *slightly* under optimal weight for his build (he's at 8 lbs, 3 oz right now; she said since most of his major growing is done, she would not expect him to be much over 10 lbs at optimal adult weight). So, Jack is well on his way to being in the same fine shape as his sister!

Here's one more pic, taken at the vet...because I can't resist.



Thank you!! There is an older thread out there, but you're right, she's about due! I will have to see what I can do...I have tons of pictures on my digital camera, but I've been having trouble downloading from the card (the pics of Jack in this thread were all taken with someone else's camera phone). By the time I get it working, it will be an Epic 50-photo thread!

Well, she hasn't met him directly yet - I'm going to stick to the vet's recommendation of a week in "quarantine" for Jack, both for the sake of clearing up his URI, and to give him time to adjust to the smells and sounds of the house. But she knows full-well that there's a "new addition" in the house! She was a scaredy-cat at first...she'd go near the bathroom door, but any little noise in the house would send her scampering back to the bedroom, straight under the bed (first time I've ever seen her hide from ANYTHING!). Now, she goes over and lies down next to the door like she's on guard duty. Not sure if she wants to protect Jack, or make sure he doesn't get out, lol, but I'm taking her growing comfort level with his presence as a good sign! Otherwise, it's been business as usual...she gave me the cold shoulder for a bit yesterday, but today she's totally her usual playful self.

Right now, while they're separate, the hardest part is trying to spend enough time with each of them!

One more big THANK YOU for all the kind words - he really is a happy, affectionate, inquisitive little boy, and I cannot wait to see how he and Sophie get along.

Just a quick update, Jack is already doing much better. After starting his antibiotics, his breathing sounds normal (no more Darth Kitty!), and he's sneezing a LOT less already. He's also eating lots, and he just looks brighter and more alert with each meal.

And here's one more picture for now...Jack says "Hi TCS!"