How I first met Pounce was a lesson in "being specific what you pray for" - and life with her has been a regular reminder that "God knows what he's doing."
I had divorced the ex-wife (who ran around on me) in '89, before I went Trucking full time. Thru the years following, I had a string of girlfriends ("interesting flakes" would be putting it mildly) who, like the ex, didn't appreciate a good man when they had one.......
By four years ago, I had come down to a daily prayer of "Lord, I need a good warm female companion. You know how my luck has been running in that department, so I hope you understand that I GIVE UP! You have the right one pick ME out, and we'll go from there." (I will point out here, in case it isn't obvious, that I had in mind a Woman, not a Cat).
So it was that, in October of '99, I landed in a pet store in Arlington, TX during a visit with the girlfriend of the time. I had already figured out that her tastes were too rich for my budget - and the way she was going ga-ga over $700 Puppies that day was the clincher.
Walking in, I had noticed an aquarium tank in one of the display windows - Kittens, which they were adopting out for the local shelter. It was about two in the afternoon, and I guess the kitties were all played out from the morning crowd, as they were just one sleeping mass of fur at the back of the tank.
Walking out after saying NO to the overpriced little mutts, we passed the tank again. I stopped, looking at the pile of fur. Suddenly, there were kittens tumbling every which way, as this one rose straight up from the bottom of the pile and looked straight at me.....then, here she come - straight up the glass wall of the tank (like she had super glue on her feet), across the top lip, and promptly tumbled - trapped upside down between the aquarium and the window.
I called the salesgirl over to "rescue the poor kitty" - who upon rescue was quite insistent on NOT going back in the tank - she wanted at ME. So, I played with the kitty - who wanted nothing to do with the girlfriend, but was all over me. Then, I heard that "inner voice", you know - "here's the answer to your prayer." To which I thought "Huh?" So then I got to noticing, she was soft and warm - and I checked, "yup, female" - and seems to be unconditionally interested in Me.....so, I wound up adopting a kitty - followed by a round at PetSmart for equipment - wondering all the while "WHAT am I doing?"
God knew what he was doing - she has proven an excellent companion. And, at a total cost for upkeep of about $4 a week, well within my budget.
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Later that night at the Motel (where I had planned on a second night with the girlfriend, but she had left upon figuring out this kitten wasn't willing to share me), I awoke to something knocking around under the bed. Checking, I found the bed rested atop a solid box frame - and somehow the kitten had gotten inside that. So, I took the bed apart, and found my kitten wrestling with a Lizard - about as long as she was!
I got the lizard away from her, and carried it to the office - I expect better of an $80 room. Their response? "No extra charge for the lizard." I haven't stayed with that particular motel chain again.
I had divorced the ex-wife (who ran around on me) in '89, before I went Trucking full time. Thru the years following, I had a string of girlfriends ("interesting flakes" would be putting it mildly) who, like the ex, didn't appreciate a good man when they had one.......
By four years ago, I had come down to a daily prayer of "Lord, I need a good warm female companion. You know how my luck has been running in that department, so I hope you understand that I GIVE UP! You have the right one pick ME out, and we'll go from there." (I will point out here, in case it isn't obvious, that I had in mind a Woman, not a Cat).
So it was that, in October of '99, I landed in a pet store in Arlington, TX during a visit with the girlfriend of the time. I had already figured out that her tastes were too rich for my budget - and the way she was going ga-ga over $700 Puppies that day was the clincher.
Walking in, I had noticed an aquarium tank in one of the display windows - Kittens, which they were adopting out for the local shelter. It was about two in the afternoon, and I guess the kitties were all played out from the morning crowd, as they were just one sleeping mass of fur at the back of the tank.
Walking out after saying NO to the overpriced little mutts, we passed the tank again. I stopped, looking at the pile of fur. Suddenly, there were kittens tumbling every which way, as this one rose straight up from the bottom of the pile and looked straight at me.....then, here she come - straight up the glass wall of the tank (like she had super glue on her feet), across the top lip, and promptly tumbled - trapped upside down between the aquarium and the window.
I called the salesgirl over to "rescue the poor kitty" - who upon rescue was quite insistent on NOT going back in the tank - she wanted at ME. So, I played with the kitty - who wanted nothing to do with the girlfriend, but was all over me. Then, I heard that "inner voice", you know - "here's the answer to your prayer." To which I thought "Huh?" So then I got to noticing, she was soft and warm - and I checked, "yup, female" - and seems to be unconditionally interested in Me.....so, I wound up adopting a kitty - followed by a round at PetSmart for equipment - wondering all the while "WHAT am I doing?"
God knew what he was doing - she has proven an excellent companion. And, at a total cost for upkeep of about $4 a week, well within my budget.
-------------------------
Later that night at the Motel (where I had planned on a second night with the girlfriend, but she had left upon figuring out this kitten wasn't willing to share me), I awoke to something knocking around under the bed. Checking, I found the bed rested atop a solid box frame - and somehow the kitten had gotten inside that. So, I took the bed apart, and found my kitten wrestling with a Lizard - about as long as she was!
I got the lizard away from her, and carried it to the office - I expect better of an $80 room. Their response? "No extra charge for the lizard." I haven't stayed with that particular motel chain again.
