how did YOU know?

That your cat was special? Whether it be from the breeder or from a shelter, what made your cutie catch your eye?

Well, Ivo was a stray living outside our building. What made me know, and fall totally in love with her, was when she fell asleep in my hands and in my lap while my neighbor went and got a dish to put the food we had bought for her. And having her sleep in bed with me that night just sealed the deal.

Zoey was gorgeous at the shelter.. beautiful piercing green eyes, soft coat and the extra toes!! I knew I had to have her

With Peaches I wasn't sure about her at first. She looked sickly and extra grumpy! But the woman at the shelter asked me if I wanted to take her in a room alone and play with her so I did. She snuggled up to me and let me brush her. Then she kissed my face and that was it.

With Henrietta and Carmella it was different. Carmella was so beautiful she was the first thing that caught my eye. And she was so frightened I knew she needed someone to love her no matter what. Henrietta was so playful I just loved her right away. The first 15 minutes I was there I sat in a recliner and she jumped up on the back of the chair and wrapped herself around my neck. I spent the night with her and Carmella and Henri zoomed back and forth all night playing. She was just so damn cute!

When we went to the breeder, there were two litters of kittens to look at. They were ALL SOOOOOO cute, I was a little overwhelmed, because I just couldn't decide. So, I played with all of them and looked and them and held them, and I still couldn't decide.

Then, I realized that there was one kitten that I had almost missed, because she'd been so quiet! As soon as we got there, she had crawled into my lap (I was sitting Indian-style on the floor), snuggled up to my leg, and fallen asleep! I just hadn't really noticed her after she crawled into my lap since I was trying to look at all her brothers and sisters that wouldn't sit still. Well, what I wanted was a snuggle-bug, so I knew right away when I saw that little ball of fluff snuggled up against my leg that she was the one!

And she has been snuggly ever since, with a near-constant purr that makes me think I should have named her "Motorboat" at times.

All my kitties caught my eye literally with their own. Staring.

Mozart, a tiny 1.5lb orange furball, leapt up the doors of the cage, scratched and bit me. He gave me such a direct stare. Love at first sight.

Ginza gave me such a direct, intelligent stare. He looked a little odd, extra skinny and huge ears and eyes. Love at first sight.

Kayla hurled herself at the cage doors meowing at me for scritches. When the staff let me hold her, she kept headbutting me. Love at first sight.

I rescued Bud and Echo when they were just 5 weeks old. Their Mommy was a stray and there were several Tom Cats looking at them like prey. I just could bare the thought of them being killed when I could give them so much love. Now they're spoiled rotten...and they know it too!

As for Tiki, I seen a flyer at one our Grocery stores in town. There was just something about that handwritten Ad that told me I had to call to inquire about her. Her owners said that she didn't get along with their puppies and so they had to get rid of her. Later I found out they got rid of her because she would pee on the beds (she had a UTI, but they thought it was behavioral issues). That night after seeing that Ad, I went to their house to see if I'd like her. I LOVED her the minute I seen her! She was all curled up in a ball in her owners arms and that face just melted me! I don't know how anyone could give up such a sweet and beautiful little Himalayan! She's even a purebred...sad thing about it, they declawed her on all 4 paws.

Tiki is definitely the spice that my little family needed! I don't know what I'd do with out her!

Midnight headbumped me and licked my face when I held him at the shelter. He stole my heart at that moment and has it still.

Sunshine ran out in the road in front of my car. He picked me!

Coal reached out an imploring paw and cried at us, looking deep into our eyes.

Lilith was just so pretty, and had such a pleading look in her eyes. We only found out a few weeks later she wasn't just pleading for herself, but for her unborn kittens, as well!

Romeo was a really special case. I already had 10 cats but wanted another. I pulled into the parking lot of the SPCA and said a quick prayer to Bast, "If I am meant to adopt one of these cats, please give me a clear, undeiable sign." I walked into the cat room and Romeo was throwing himself (literally) against the cage door at me screaming at me. He yelled until I got someone from the shelter to get him out for me to look at, and the minute I held him, he settled into my arms and started purring! I got my sign!

All mine need to do is lick my face and I'm hooked for life. OK, or if they had a hard-luck tale behind them.

My grey and white Max (over the bridge) was a SPCA cat in a pet store. My grey and white Hippocrates had just passed 4 weeks earlier from cancer. Max had me pegged. While I bent down to pick out dog bones, he ran the length of the store (I could see him in the corner of my eye) and jumped into my lap. He laid down and started purring. I told him I couldn't take him because he looked too much like my Hippocrates, but he didn't care. He picked me that day and ruled me and hubby until he crossed the bridge.

Hmm lets see for Lady D it was because of all the litter she bit my hubby, yes he's into that abuse thing . With Riley he was one of several cats that would have suited our home. He was the 1st we looked at but just looked so dejected when we went to look at the others. Almost like "yah I knew you wouldn't pick me", I just couldn't let a look like that stay on a cat .

I didn't pick Sam. I heard about him, he was being fostered at a kennel, and needed a home, so I said, bring him over, I'll give him a try. The girl opened the carrier, and he slunk out, and ran up the stairs. Then he rolled and rolled on the carpet, stretching and rubbing. Later we found out that he had been a family pet, given up for adoption, and had refused to leave his cage for the three months he was at the kennel. He must have been so happy to see a house again, and have carpet to roll around on.

I found Bailey at PetsMart. I already knew that I wanted an adult cat, female, and not too agressive. I also was more interested in a long hair cat, because they are not as popular to adopt, apparently, and my life was already full of cat hair, so what difference could it make.

I had been looking for months. There were several lovely cats at the store that day, but it was Bailey who caught my eye, because she was just sitting and watching, not running up to the front and asking for attention. (I knew that Sam would need a friend who was not too pushy). Then I read her story - she had been found a stray, pregnant, and her kittens had finally all been placed, so, as they put it, it was time for mommy cat to find a home. They took her out of the cage, she wrapped her paws around my neck, snuggled her head under my chin, and purred so loud she vibrated. And I took her home the next day.

Oh, and this was the day after my mother's funeral. I had told mom that I wanted a second cat, and she looked at me and said, nobody better be looking after cats instead of me! So I think that mom was letting me know that it was ok to get another baby now.

I saw Leo when I went to a PetSmart to check out another cat. Turns out the cat that I wanted was not a good fit for me so the woman from the cat organization that fostered the cats sugegsted Leo. She took him out of his cage and he went to each of the other cats cages and started fishing food out of their cages. I thought that was so funny. He was really friendly and so cute that I had to have him! She took my cat carrier and he went into it immediately. When I brought him home he came out of the carrier and got comfortable. I knew we were meant to be

Well, we weren't for sure exactly what kind of cat we wanted...we just wanted one that would catch the mice we had in our house...as soon as we saw Rocky, I fell in love...when I look back and remember, he had a brother that was in a seperate cage, but right next to him, and well, the shelter didn't say they were brothers, but they were the exact same color, same age, and they were the same size....at that time, we just wanted only 1 cat...and I regret not bringing him home too... it was more Steve chosing than anyone's...I am so glad her chose him!
With Fluff, I didn't even see what she looked like before we brought her home with us...I just saw an add in the paper for a free black and white 14 week old female kitten at the local veternarian office just down the road from our house, and we had been wanting to get a playmate for Rocky anyway,. so she was the one...they liked each other almost immediately...Rocky was a little aggressive with her at first, not really understanding his own strength and he was so much bigger than her at the time.she was tiny next to him...I fell in love with her the second I saw her..she never fell asleep in my lap, but when Steve told me that the people at the vets office said some old lady had just dropped her off because she was the runt of their litter, and they thought she was too "wild" to keep....
That really just made me love her even more and hate her previous owners even more..she is a little on the "wild" side, but that is just her personality....at the end of the day of the day we brought her home, Rocky and her were both grooming each other..more him to her though....I don't know what they would do without each other..it sure would be sad though...

Fluffy was a stray. That day i was supposed to get a foster cat. At last minute the foster cat got adopted. I was bummed cuz i was looking forward to getting a cat. DH phoned the girl who had Fluffy and i knew it was meant to be.

Socks i knew the minute i saw him outside and the first time he gave me kisses i knew he was furrever grateful

Ohhhh, its so nice to hear how all you guys paired up. Walking into the Humane Society, me and hubby were just 'looking'. Amber was laying on a perch, very nonchalant, and not very interested in us. But when I pet her head she pushed into my hand and she was so cute. We went around the room and then another room and came back and petted her again. Then she got up and went inside a little carpet tepee! As if saying 'go away I am trying to sleep'. But I wanted her anyway. When we brought her home, being totally unprepared, we put her in the laundry room (stupid, I know) and when we got back from Petsmart she had ensconced herself in a little cubby hole that we could not reach. We decided to leave her there for a while but then I started getting scared. Everytime I would check on her she hadnt moved. I began to think 'Oh no, she's dead!' So we ended up cutting away a piece of the wall to get to her. What an ordeal! But today she is happy and I couldn't be more happy. We want to adopt another but are still uncertain.

Ophelia was trapped between the walls of our apartment building, so we cut a hole in the wall to get her out. About 6 hours later, I heard scratching at the hole, which was right by my side of the bed. As soon as I saw that precious little black and white kitten face, I involuntarily let out an "Aaaawwww!" Hubby said he knew right then that we had a kitten. Just look at that face in my avatar....could you turn her away????

Trent we got at a pet store (I know...very bad! I was so uninformed then! The only good thing is that I know this particular pet store takes in "Ooops" litters. Now whether or not they require a spay of Mama, I don't know.) Anyway, we were "just looking" after we thought we had lost Ophelia (two days after she came in). Trent was playing and being super cute, so we asked to see him. He laid down in hubby's arms and purred. We decided to walk around the mall and think about it, and when we came back, he looked up like "Oh Hi! I knew you wouldn't leave without me!" We looked at a little torti kitten, and he just went nuts, playing and cavorting and being cute. He was trying to get our attention! So since he most definitely chose us that night, we couldn't leave him there. He knew immediately that we were his family, even if we didn't.

I got Felicia at a small pet store. There was a big cage with 4 or 5 black & white kittens in it. There was also an grey tiger with some orange in her. I was interested in a black/white kitten. The clerk told me that they were all for sale. All I had to do was go home and get my carrier. I don't drive, so I walked home got the carrier, and walked back. When I returned to the pet store all the black & white kittens were gone. Someone told me that they were not ready to be sold. (after someone else said they were ready). I
decided then to buy grey tiger that was still in the cage.

In Beau's case, I was at his breeders and two kittens were for sale. One day I picked up the kitten that I was going to buy, and he flipped out of my arms. So I picked up the other kitten (Beau), put him on my lap, and he sat there.

How did I know????

The eyes baby, it's all in the eyes!! Nakita's eyes are magical!

Before I knew what was going on at the house where Toes was born I spent many a night there and Toes always crawled into the bed with me while the other kittens just slept in my room. When I found out that the stench was because it was a meth house I took 2 of the kittens, but left Toes at first because he had been adopted by another person. Then that other person brought back Toes and I took him too. I don't know what other kittens survived.

With Tailer I went to a house that had 5 litters of different ages and she was in one of the middle ones. She was the right color and very quiet and shy, but not scared so I picked her (even though she had a very handsome brother) because I wanted a female to go with Toes. It took her about 6 months to get used to the idea that she was someone else's cat and that both Toes and I loved her.