First, I have to say that I have had cats my whole life. My parents were not good about neutering, so there were millions of kittens around all the time. They know better now!
The first cat I remember, the Empress of my heart, my soulmate, was Butterscotch. She jumped into the back of my dad's van and rode home with him (supposedly...). I think she had been an indoor pet, because she was always trying to get inside. At the time, we lived way out in the country and all our pets were outdoors only (my mom claimed to have allergies... those disappeared a few years later!)
Well, Butterscotch lived with me for 15 years. She lived as an indoor/outdoor cat for the last 8 or so years (refused to stay inside, she was wild at heart by then!). 8 years ago she was diagnosed with lymphoma, but therapy worked and she lived 2 more healthy years before finally having to be put down when the lymphoma became drug resistant. I dream of her often and I will never forget her!!
That brings me to my current babies. Butterscotch went to the Rainbow Bridge in September, and I really thought I would never get another cat. HA! Not 10 days had passed before I dreamed of Butterscotch and somehow I knew she was angry at me for not sharing my love with another cat who needed it. I went to my vet's office to get her advice and she immediately told me she had been waiting for me to come in - that everyone at the office had decided on THE cat for me!! That was Piccalo - the sweetest kitty ever! She was 2.5 or so, had been brought in by someone who had found her and her sister all torn up. Piccalo still gets scared by lots of things and still dislikes men in general (but my DH is okay, mostly
) but she is a total lovebug with me, though it took about 2 years for her to open up - nothing in my life has been so rewarding as the first time she let me hold her in my lap!!
She was at the vet's office for so long because everyone kept returning her due to "bonding issues" - people have no patience!!!
Pounce was just a kitten at the time, maybe 6 months old. She was very close to Piccalo, and she demanded to go with Piccalo to THEIR new forever-home!
The first cat I remember, the Empress of my heart, my soulmate, was Butterscotch. She jumped into the back of my dad's van and rode home with him (supposedly...). I think she had been an indoor pet, because she was always trying to get inside. At the time, we lived way out in the country and all our pets were outdoors only (my mom claimed to have allergies... those disappeared a few years later!)
Well, Butterscotch lived with me for 15 years. She lived as an indoor/outdoor cat for the last 8 or so years (refused to stay inside, she was wild at heart by then!). 8 years ago she was diagnosed with lymphoma, but therapy worked and she lived 2 more healthy years before finally having to be put down when the lymphoma became drug resistant. I dream of her often and I will never forget her!!
That brings me to my current babies. Butterscotch went to the Rainbow Bridge in September, and I really thought I would never get another cat. HA! Not 10 days had passed before I dreamed of Butterscotch and somehow I knew she was angry at me for not sharing my love with another cat who needed it. I went to my vet's office to get her advice and she immediately told me she had been waiting for me to come in - that everyone at the office had decided on THE cat for me!! That was Piccalo - the sweetest kitty ever! She was 2.5 or so, had been brought in by someone who had found her and her sister all torn up. Piccalo still gets scared by lots of things and still dislikes men in general (but my DH is okay, mostly
Pounce was just a kitten at the time, maybe 6 months old. She was very close to Piccalo, and she demanded to go with Piccalo to THEIR new forever-home!