I can’t believe I’m posting in the new kitty section after losing my beloved BLACK KITTY only two months ago.
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/283330/whats-wrong-with-this-cat-im-new-long-story
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/320231/rip-black-kitty
I’m still so confused about his unexpected death, and I do miss him sooooo terribly. He taught me so much about kitty love, and I can only hope that he understands my bringing a new little package of craziness into my home. I’m not sure I understand it myself.
After BK died, I realized this is the first time I’ve ever really been alone in my life. I’ve been married and divorced, I have two grown children (my son just moved out last October), and I’ve certainly had plenty of dogs in my life since I was a little girl. I honestly don’t mind not being with other people all the time, but I’ve always wanted pets around. I think I love animals more than most people.
I wouldn’t mind having a big dog again, but I just don’t have the time or money to take care of it like it deserves, and I took down the dog pen after I lost my KiKi two years ago. My daughter understands me more than anyone, and a few weeks ago, she kept telling me I needed another cat. I surprised myself by even considering it. One minute I thought it maybe it was a good idea. The next minute I questioned my sanity. Every day I kept changing my mind.
Our local shelter helped me decide when they had their first ever free adoption event on July 23. Normally, their adoption fees are about $100, but they really needed to clear the shelter. They had probably 100+ dogs and cats that needed homes. I got off work early the day before and went to the shelter to see if they had any cats I might be interested in. I thought to myself, if I don’t see one I really want, that’s a sign that it’s not time for another one yet, and I’d be ok with that. I took some time to pet and talk to all the cats (and the dogs too), and it made me realize why my daughter always wants them all after she visits the shelter. I knew if I got one, I wanted a kitten instead of an adult. (I also knew I’ll never get another solid black cat. There will always be only one Black Kitty.) There were some amazing animals there, but one little guy kept trying the hardest to get my attention so I’d keep coming back to his cage. I left there and told my daughter I was pretty sure I’d be back the next day.
The adoption event was supposed to start at 12:00, but by 11:00 there were about 10 cars in the parking lot and probably 15 people lined up at the door. The shelter still didn’t let anyone in till 12:00. My daughter and granddaughter met me there, and I still couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I even had a little crying spell because I kept thinking about BK. We waited till about 11:45 to get in line and fill out some paperwork. The shelter workers told me the day before that as soon as I came in, I needed to grab the info card that was on the cage of whoever I was interested in. I said if that kitten’s card was already gone, then it just wasn’t meant to be. But the card was still there, and I grabbed it before anyone else could. After that I kept hearing several people saying “Awwww, I liked that one but the card’s gone. “ Too bad. Haha
We had to get in line again for the adoption room, and my daughter had to leave after about 20 minutes. It took almost 45 minutes for me to finally sit down with a worker and get more paperwork done. A lot of pets couldn’t go home with anyone yet because they weren’t neutered. Luckily, the kitten I wanted already was, so he could go with me that day. When we went back to get the kitten, I couldn’t even hold him yet. It was about two hours from start to finish before I finally got him in my car. I took him out of the carrier, and we just chilled out for a few minutes before I left the shelter.
I got the kitten home and played with him for a few minutes and then left him alone in the spare bedroom so he could adjust. I figured he would be pretty stressed for the rest of the day. He wasn’t. He wasn’t the least bit afraid from day one. He acts like he’s always belonged here.
His shelter name was Pecan. He had two brothers, Hickory and Walnut. I knew I wouldn’t keep calling him Pecan. When he was in his room, I’d go in the other room and call to him with different names a few times to see if he’d react. He didn’t make a move until I called out the name my daughter liked but hadn’t used yet. He came running out and just looked at me like, “you called?”
So allow me to introduce….MAXIMUS. I usually call him Max or sometimes Maxi. He’ll respond to all three.
I realized the next day that it’s been a very VERY long time since I took care of a kitten. I forgot how crazy they are and how they never seem to run out of energy. It will be a long time before Max is allowed the run of the house, because he already wants to get into everything. He’ll stay in his room while I’m at work, and, surprisingly enough, he hasn’t tried to destroy anything. I let him out when I get home, and then he’s shut up in my bedroom with me at night. He seems content with that. I’m very glad he was already litterbox trained.
His first week here was absolutely insane. He loves to play and is very entertaining. He’s also very good at practicing his stalking skills. He likes to hide in the bathtub and will actually drink water from the faucet if I leave it dripping. He’ll sit on his cat tower and watch me leave for work, and he’s always right there at the window when I get home. He’s even let me trim his claws once already!
I get conflicting stories about what and how much to feed him. Right now, I’m giving him half a small can of wet food in the morning and the other half at night, but I also leave dry food out during the day. His appetite is very good, and he doesn’t act like I’m feeding him too much or not enough. I think he’s gained some weight, but he still doesn’t weigh enough to register on the scale yet.
Max seems to be pretty happy and healthy to me. He's four months old. He’s been neutered, he’s up to date on shots and flea prevention, he doesn’t have worms, he’s microchipped, and he’s FeLK negative! I’m not sure when he needs his next checkup at the vet. I’ll probably take him in when he’s six months old.
I told myself I was never getting another pet because sometimes I feel like I failed them all in the end. So maybe I’m crazy for saving Max, but I’ll try my best to keep him happy and healthy. The day I brought him home, I showed him Black Kitty’s picture on the mantle, and I said, “You see that? HE’S the real reason you’re here with me.”
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/283330/whats-wrong-with-this-cat-im-new-long-story
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/320231/rip-black-kitty
I’m still so confused about his unexpected death, and I do miss him sooooo terribly. He taught me so much about kitty love, and I can only hope that he understands my bringing a new little package of craziness into my home. I’m not sure I understand it myself.
After BK died, I realized this is the first time I’ve ever really been alone in my life. I’ve been married and divorced, I have two grown children (my son just moved out last October), and I’ve certainly had plenty of dogs in my life since I was a little girl. I honestly don’t mind not being with other people all the time, but I’ve always wanted pets around. I think I love animals more than most people.
I wouldn’t mind having a big dog again, but I just don’t have the time or money to take care of it like it deserves, and I took down the dog pen after I lost my KiKi two years ago. My daughter understands me more than anyone, and a few weeks ago, she kept telling me I needed another cat. I surprised myself by even considering it. One minute I thought it maybe it was a good idea. The next minute I questioned my sanity. Every day I kept changing my mind.
Our local shelter helped me decide when they had their first ever free adoption event on July 23. Normally, their adoption fees are about $100, but they really needed to clear the shelter. They had probably 100+ dogs and cats that needed homes. I got off work early the day before and went to the shelter to see if they had any cats I might be interested in. I thought to myself, if I don’t see one I really want, that’s a sign that it’s not time for another one yet, and I’d be ok with that. I took some time to pet and talk to all the cats (and the dogs too), and it made me realize why my daughter always wants them all after she visits the shelter. I knew if I got one, I wanted a kitten instead of an adult. (I also knew I’ll never get another solid black cat. There will always be only one Black Kitty.) There were some amazing animals there, but one little guy kept trying the hardest to get my attention so I’d keep coming back to his cage. I left there and told my daughter I was pretty sure I’d be back the next day.
The adoption event was supposed to start at 12:00, but by 11:00 there were about 10 cars in the parking lot and probably 15 people lined up at the door. The shelter still didn’t let anyone in till 12:00. My daughter and granddaughter met me there, and I still couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. I even had a little crying spell because I kept thinking about BK. We waited till about 11:45 to get in line and fill out some paperwork. The shelter workers told me the day before that as soon as I came in, I needed to grab the info card that was on the cage of whoever I was interested in. I said if that kitten’s card was already gone, then it just wasn’t meant to be. But the card was still there, and I grabbed it before anyone else could. After that I kept hearing several people saying “Awwww, I liked that one but the card’s gone. “ Too bad. Haha
We had to get in line again for the adoption room, and my daughter had to leave after about 20 minutes. It took almost 45 minutes for me to finally sit down with a worker and get more paperwork done. A lot of pets couldn’t go home with anyone yet because they weren’t neutered. Luckily, the kitten I wanted already was, so he could go with me that day. When we went back to get the kitten, I couldn’t even hold him yet. It was about two hours from start to finish before I finally got him in my car. I took him out of the carrier, and we just chilled out for a few minutes before I left the shelter.
I got the kitten home and played with him for a few minutes and then left him alone in the spare bedroom so he could adjust. I figured he would be pretty stressed for the rest of the day. He wasn’t. He wasn’t the least bit afraid from day one. He acts like he’s always belonged here.
His shelter name was Pecan. He had two brothers, Hickory and Walnut. I knew I wouldn’t keep calling him Pecan. When he was in his room, I’d go in the other room and call to him with different names a few times to see if he’d react. He didn’t make a move until I called out the name my daughter liked but hadn’t used yet. He came running out and just looked at me like, “you called?”
So allow me to introduce….MAXIMUS. I usually call him Max or sometimes Maxi. He’ll respond to all three.
I realized the next day that it’s been a very VERY long time since I took care of a kitten. I forgot how crazy they are and how they never seem to run out of energy. It will be a long time before Max is allowed the run of the house, because he already wants to get into everything. He’ll stay in his room while I’m at work, and, surprisingly enough, he hasn’t tried to destroy anything. I let him out when I get home, and then he’s shut up in my bedroom with me at night. He seems content with that. I’m very glad he was already litterbox trained.
His first week here was absolutely insane. He loves to play and is very entertaining. He’s also very good at practicing his stalking skills. He likes to hide in the bathtub and will actually drink water from the faucet if I leave it dripping. He’ll sit on his cat tower and watch me leave for work, and he’s always right there at the window when I get home. He’s even let me trim his claws once already!
I get conflicting stories about what and how much to feed him. Right now, I’m giving him half a small can of wet food in the morning and the other half at night, but I also leave dry food out during the day. His appetite is very good, and he doesn’t act like I’m feeding him too much or not enough. I think he’s gained some weight, but he still doesn’t weigh enough to register on the scale yet.
Max seems to be pretty happy and healthy to me. He's four months old. He’s been neutered, he’s up to date on shots and flea prevention, he doesn’t have worms, he’s microchipped, and he’s FeLK negative! I’m not sure when he needs his next checkup at the vet. I’ll probably take him in when he’s six months old.
I told myself I was never getting another pet because sometimes I feel like I failed them all in the end. So maybe I’m crazy for saving Max, but I’ll try my best to keep him happy and healthy. The day I brought him home, I showed him Black Kitty’s picture on the mantle, and I said, “You see that? HE’S the real reason you’re here with me.”
