Do you own the cat you always thought you would?

(Still new, so I hope I put this in the appropriate forum)

I always thought if I ever had a cat it would be a long-haired gray tabby kitten. I think I was influenced by a sweet storybook illustration from somewhere,lol. Like, the 1940's-1950's little blonde-headed girl holding a fluffy kitten with a satin bow around its neck, maybe a Norman Rockwell kind of thing, I don't know. Anyway, so now I have not one, but three kitties. One dsh torbie, a dsh tortie-point (looks like a Siamese cross), and a dmh black and white tuxedo. Not even close!!!

Of course, I love them all dearly and wouldn't trade any of them for the kitten of my old daydreams. Also, 2 of the 3 were strays in desperate need, so bringing them into the family wasn't a leisurely decision, but more of a call to action because I couldn't turn them away. So that plays into it as well.

Does anyone on TCS have a cat even similar to what they pictured before becoming a cat owner?

No, I've always had the ones that came my way. I've always, since I was young, wanted a Maine Coon, but I've never had one, and probably never will.

DreamerRose said:

No, I've always had the ones that came my way. I've always, since I was young, wanted a Maine Coon, but I've never had one, and probably never will.

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You've expressed it perfectly: the ones that came my way. DH likes the looks of Bengals and is fascinated by pixie bobs (!) because they are big and dog-like, but he is also content with our mixed lot. We have already run up against that wall of how many we have the room for and the means to look after.

FWIW, I always dreamed of a black horse with white stockings as a young animal lover, and although I am grown and will most likely never own a horse at all, my sweet tuxedo cat fits that color description, ha ha.

Hard to say...when I went looking for a cat, all I knew I wanted was a companion, and preferably a cuddly lap cat...I've also always loved black cats and bengals, but a pure bred was out of my price range, and I prefer to adopt rather than buy anyway.

With Felix...there was just an instant connection. I knew he was the one for me. He's a tuxedo, so he's partially black...and he's not really a cuddler, except for rare occasions. But he's a perfect companion, and I couldn't ask for a better cat. :heart4:

I always loved black cats, a love that grew even deeper when I learned they had such a hard time getting adopted. Even though I've had 4 in my life, it was pure coincidence with three of them. They just happened to be black but I would have adopted them if they were purple.

When looking for a cat, for some reason I never puctured myself with a ginger tabby. So who picked me out at the shelter and won my heart on the spot? A ginger tabby! We spent 14 beautiful years together and now I find myself looking longingly at every ginger tabby on this site.

Pompy said:

I prefer to adopt rather than buy anyway.

Me too!!

With Felix...there was just an instant connection. I knew he was the one for me. He's a tuxedo, so he's partially black...and he's not really a cuddler, except for rare occasions. But he's a perfect companion, and I couldn't ask for a better cat. :heart4:

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I didn't really get to know two of my cats at all until after I took them in. One was a rather rushed kitten adoption, so not a lot of bonding took place, and the other was rescued nearly starving from life on the streets in the middle of the winter. I just wanted to get him home safe before he was run over by a car.

The first one we saved, and the one we knew best, was the cat who chose us....in other words, she showed up and wouldn't go away. We were grieving over our elderly dogs, who passed within 2 months of each other, and it took us "dog people" a while to come around to the idea of a cat. The sight of her flea-bitten little body and obvious desire for some friendly human attention soon won us over. She's taught us lots about cats in the last 15 months.

We lucked out with all three. They get along well and have such great personalities. There's something special about each of them.

I've always wanted a big fluffy ginger tabby, and a calico or a tortie (one of my childhood cats was a tortie, and I've had a soft spot for them ever since). I've seen a fluffy ginger kitten and a little calico on Craigslist recently, but the boy was out of my price range and the calico got snatched up right away. I responded to their ad less than an hour after it was posted, but somehow someone managed to get there before me.
Both the kitties I've had since moving out of my parents house have been tuxedos. I love Ruby dearly, and I loved my Jasper just as much!

I've always wanted a tortoiseshell and a black cat. When my boyfriend's sister found the litter in her shed, we agreed to take one immediately. It wasn't until afterwards we were told my kitten was a little marbled torbie.

It is more like they own me!     Yes, I have the cat of my dreams BUT each and every feline that has graced my house has been my dream cat in one way or another. 

I don't think I've ever really had a specific preference for a cat. I've always loved silver tabbies so I lucked out with Ollie being a silver tabby and white.

Most of the cats that are up for adoption where I am tend to be pure black or black and white Tuxedos. I know there's a reasonably high Tuxedo population in London.

I never really think about the kind of cat I'd want, although I've had or had in my household pretty much every kind of cat, except (strangely enough) a tabby or blue. Black, white, pointed, calico, tortie, pointed. Personality all the way from clingy to sweet to funny to "crunchy" (lol).

I was really ill a few years ago. In the hospital, I prayed to God to send me a companion kitty, and when I came home, that very day, I found Robin. The neighbors had been feeding their outdoor cats kittens on and under my porch. Up stepped a little funny faced Siamese mix. He had spirit: he wanted food, he wanted my house. I think he wanted me, but mostly he wanted my porch, my sofa, and the magical boxes (my stove and fridge lol) that procured all that yummy "chikken!!" I hadn't wanted another cat for years: but I wanted a companion, and so I suppose I have exactly what I wanted, and oh boy I sure am grateful...! though did I want a specific breed or color? No, that thought never occurred to me. It's the look in the eyes that determines the bond, to me, probably the same with most of us??

DreamerRose said:

 
No, I've always had the ones that came my way. <snip>

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Me too.  

When I was little. I just wanted a cat. Black cats have always been drawn to me and vice versa. When I was about 13 or so, I was sitting behind the grocery store that was right down the street from my house and across the parking lot exit was a bunch of bushes. We were just talking when I heard a faint crying. I asked her if she heard that and she said no. I heard it again. She didn't. Finally I said, "come here kitty" a few times. She looked at me like I was crazy. A minute later a small black kitten came running out of the bushes and over to me. I picked her up and took her home. My mom hates cats. She acted like I brought a rabid hyena into the house. The kitten ended up being adopted by a friend of my sister's whose kitty had recently passed from old age so it turned out all right.

Many years later, about 10 years ago, I was walking my dog in the evening and again, I heard a very faint crying. The dog heard it too. We followed the cries until I saw a small black kitten sitting on someone's front steps. It was crying at the door. I knocked and asked if it was theirs. They must know my mom. :rolleyes2 They acted like the kitten was a bomb and basically told me to get lost.. I brought the little one home. DH was allergic so no kitten for me. A neighbor ended up adopting the kitten so again, it ended up well.

Now I have 3 black cats (and a black dog). They bring very good luck.

I've always loved cats, but for various reasons hadn't had one for a long time.  Then 3 years ago I decided I couldn't be cat-less any longer.  I knew I wanted to give a homeless cat a home.  And it had to be orange.

The first time I went to the shelter, just to look, there was a gorgeous big, fluffy orange tabby that just flopped in my arms, (eck1kaylie you would have loved him, based on your above post), but I wasn't ready to adopt, and when I checked their website, just the next day, he was gone.

Two weeks later I went to the shelter again. This time ready to adopt.  And they only had 1 orange cat.  She wasn't big and fluffy, like the other one, and definitely didn't flop in my arms. (she still doesn't like to be picked up)   But she was a cute purring machine who kept head-bumping me. And though I looked at all the cats there, I kept being drawn back to the orange one.  I knew she was the one. 

That was a little over 2 years ago.  Once I adopted her, I renamed her Ruby. She still doesn't like being picked up, but she the best little lap cat I could have asked for. 

When I thought about adopting my first cat, I thought I'd get a solid white cat with blue eyes and deaf.

Nope, I got a classic tuxedo instead, lol. His personality was semi on-par on what I thought he'd be. Mainly because I had no idea what cat personalities tend to be like, so I had little expectations of it.

Draco said:

When I thought about adopting my first cat, I thought I'd get a solid white cat with blue eyes and deaf.

Nope, I got a classic tuxedo instead, lol. His personality was semi on-par on what I thought he'd be. Mainly because I had no idea what cat personalities tend to be like, so I had little expectations of it.

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Ahh, I had a blue-eyed white cat when I was a kid! She was my grandma's cat, originally. Spoiled little princess demanded a saucer of baby peas and a face-washing every day, and ice cubes in her water. And she walked on the piano at night. :lol3:

Honestly I never thought I would have a cat. I was a dog lover. But Comet came into my life at the time I needed someone to love me and someone to love. Now I can't imagine my life without him. He's been my support, my love, my laugh, my tears. He's my world. Who knew my world could revolve around this curiously crazy little guy. And that everyeone told me "he's the runt, get this one. His markings are better." I've been the runt, the last one picked all my life. Comet and I just fit together. Til the end of the world, Comet will be my one and only guy. Love you Babe.

Wow, interesting question.

I've had calicos, torties, tux, black, orange, orange and white, a Siamese. The Siamese was one we were babysitting for my sister's friend. They had a dog show that weekend and the person that adopted this kitty had returned her right before the weekend. He'd bought her as a Valentine's Day gift for her wife, and then she threw up on a $5,000 carpet. So, yeah, she got returned, we babysat, and mom said she was keeping her. My sister's friend was MORE than happy because she wanted to find her a good home, and she already had her money from the other person.

The VAST majority though... they found us in some way. Mostly strays from the street, others people were trying to "get rid of". I think we got such a reputation for taking in critters that everyone in the neighborhood starting bringing their hard-luck cases to us. There was no picking and choosing, we just took whoever came and loved them with all we had. It was the same with dogs, but more so with cats. That was back when we lived in the city though.

I think cats like Lucky are proof that what you "expect" you'd have doesn't mean that that is really the one that will steal your heart. I never thought this little black and white kitten that we rescued from a horrible situation would grasp my heart as much as he did. He was this little klutzy cat that always knocked things down, broke more things than I can count, and would just look at me and meow afterwards as if to say, "Oops, my bad! I love you!"

Anyway, I went wayyyy off topic. I've had cats since before I made my entrance into the world, so I don't think I ever had expectations or thoughts about what I would have. I guess I could see that if you didn't have one, but there has never been a point in my life that I haven't had multiple cats. I know now that when the time comes that I adopt again, and it won't be for awhile (need to let the little ones grow up a bit), I'd really like to adopt senior cats, or at least mature adults. In the realm of 7+. I just have a big soft spot in my heart for the older kitties. Maybe, because as someone mentioned with black cats, they are not adopted nearly as much.

Excellent question!  Most of our cats came to us.  After our Redman crossed the Bridge, I was lonely and wanted a cat.  A spotted cat.  We looked at Bengals, but decided to adopt from a high-kill shelter instead.  I knew Speck was the one from the moment I saw him.  He was a very big kitten, with puppy feet, and spots!  He also seemed to be frowning at me, to the point where he was furrowing his brow. He was exactly as I had imagined my new cat would be, except for maybe the disapproving look.  (Though come to think of it, I've always loved to see dogs wrinkle their foreheads.) 

Ever since I was little I've always loved tuxedo cats. But we just never ended up with one - personality has always been the deciding factor.

We did kind of have a chance at a tuxedo at one point. My grandparents adopted a beautiful "stumpie" tuxedo manx (well, technically a cymric) but the "rescue" that had her didn't know if she was spayed - yet they thought it'd be okay to house her with a clearly unneutered male? So while they didn't know it at the time, my grandparents brought her home pregnant. She had four kittens that were a perfect mix of the traits of their parents (the dad was a longhaired gray cat with a tail) - one solid gray "tail-y", one solid black "rumpie" manx, one gray tuxedo "tail-y", and one black tuxedo "rumpie" manx. But we fell in love with the solid colored babies.

Nowadays, I still love tuxedos, but if anything I have a strong preference for torties. My cat soulmate, that I had since I was 3 and lost this past year, was a tortie and she was my world. She's a large part of why I brought home my feral tortie recently.

After seeing how wonderful my manxes have been, I'll probably have a similar soft spot for them.

Color wise, I also discovered black smoke tabbies recently and they are gorgeous cats. I wouldn't mind having one of those one day, but as always it'd have to be the personality that won me over in the end.

Though my guy wants a sphynx, so I guess we'll be shopping for one of those after I move in with him.