And Then There Was One

Our cat, Leo, died today. I had four cats when I started this blog, and now the only one left is Leo's sister and litter mate, Annie. Leo lived a good, long life. He would have been 20 years old at the beginning of September. 

We got Leo and Annie at a Petsmart adoption day. I wasn't sure we needed two more cats (they wanted them to be adopted together), but I finally agreed to take them. The rest of the family were thrilled. Leo and Wally were still at home and were very excited about the idea of two more cats joining Lucy and Lucky. Lucy and Lucky weren't too happy with the new arrivals but eventually adjusted. 

Leo and Annie were around 4 months old when we got them. They had been in foster care since a very young age until they could be fixed. The story we were told was that they were born to a barn cat and the only two surviving from a five-kitten litter. Supposedly, a young child in the family had killed the others. 

We used to call Leo our puppy. He adored Ward and followed him wherever he went. When Ward would come home from work, Leo would come from wherever he was and jump up and greet Ward - very much like a dog. Leo was more mellow than his sister and loved to be held. When he was being held, he rewarded you with the biggest purr. 

Leo was also laid back and didn't always seem to be the smartest one of the bunch. But he was much brighter than he let on. He was the only one of our cats who figured out how to get over the barrier we installed in the basement to keep the cats out of Theo's workshop. We found him repeatedly on the other side, and we couldn't figure out how he accomplished it. So we would rearrange things and make things higher and tighter, but we would find him on the other side again. Repeatedly. We never once figured out how he did it. Eventually, we gave up and took the barrier down. Luckily, he didn't play with any of Theo's things. 

Leo, you will be missed.

I know that this is part of owning a pet. They don't live forever. But this part sucks.

Leo is the one standing up.

Thankful Sunday

 I am thankful for my curious kitties.

I have old cats. They move slowly, sleep a lot, and groom little. They look and act very much like the 19-year-old cats they are. But yesterday, their younger selves emerged when we brought out the Christmas decorations. They sniffed, pawed, and otherwise tried to dominate the different Christmas containers and bags. And for this spark of curiosity that I saw in Annie and Leo, I am thankful.

(And I'm also thankful that they aren't knocking all of the ornaments off the tree, or knocking it over, for that matter.)

Happy Birthday, Kitties!

Annie and Leo

Today our cats, Leo and Annie, turn 18 years old. They are definitely showing their age, but they are still showing their spunk and insistence on being the center of everyone's world, as well.

We already had two cats when we got Annie and Leo and were not planning to get any more. But you know what they say about best laid plans. Miss Landers had gotten us a gift certificate for Petsmart that we went to use one afternoon. As chance would have it, it was cat adoption day. While I enjoyed seeing the cats, I was not tempted to get any more. I thought we were doing our part with the two we already had.  I wasn't tempted, but Ward was. He started campaigning that we needed some kittens. All of my red flags went up--what about the extra litter boxes, torn furniture, vet bills, etc. Those didn't seem to phase him. I agreed to go back and look at two kittens we had seen - a brother and sister that they wanted to adopt together. 

The kittens were shy with one (Annie) cautiously venturing out of their carrier to be petted while the other (Leo) hid inside. We went about our shopping, but went back before we left the store and said that we might be interested in adopting the pair. However, we needed time to think about it. Then we went home to talk to Wally and Leo.

They thought getting two more cats was the greatest idea in the world. I laid forth all of the arguments as to why we should not get the kittens, but they had a counter argument for every one of them. So then I started to think seriously about the idea. I tended to be the one in the family who put a damper on many thing by looking at the practical/negative side of things. I told myself that maybe for once, I could do something without thinking through all of the possibilities. I gave the adoption group a call the next day and said we were interested. 

The group was very happy we called back. They had  others interested in the kittens but liked us because they knew we weren't doing it on impulse. The group's goal was to get a lifelong placement for the cats in a good home. Not one that would have them for a period of time and then get rid of them. We had to have an extensive interview, fill out a lot of paperwork, make promises for their care, and pay for a spay and neuter. All good practices, but there was one question in particular that I thought was very smart. They said that in all likelihood, that our kids would be out of the house long before the cats. Would Ward and I be okay with having four cats with only two of us to care for them? We said we would.

And two days later, we picked up the kittens in the parking lot of Petsmart and took them home to spend the next couple of weeks anchored in a bedroom as we introduced them to are existing cats, Lucky and Lucy. But that's a story for another day.

So was it a good decision to have four cats? Yes. Were there problems with this many? Yes. But the joy, comfort, laughter, and companionship they have provided have far outweighed the difficulties. 

Happy Birthday, Annie and Leo! We're so glad that you are part of our family.