Less than two years ago, we had five pets, four dogs and one cat. And then, in a year or so, we lost all but Pixie, our white-aired chihuahua mix. Most of it had to do with the age of the pets. They had reached old age, and their passings, although not a surprise, were still hard on us.
We didn't think too much about new pets, at least I didn't. We had our trip to California to think about, and we didn't want to bring one into the family and then be gone for two weeks. We also had to consider Pixie's age. It would have made it tough for her to cope with a new puppy/dog.
After we returned from California, I wasn't thinking much about it. I had other things on my mind, including the vicious firing of our local librarian, and a flare-up of my arthritis. But I'm not the only member of my family. Alison was thinking very seriously about it, and she was thinking about ......a CAT!
I am a dog person. I've had dogs all my life, since I was eight years old. I love dogs and form strong bonds with them very easily. Watching Krypto in the fabulous new Superman movie brought happy tears to me. The idea of a cat wasn't high on my radar.
But it was high on Alison's. She brought a kitten home, a rescue that a friend had. It was very young, perhaps just four weeks old. We had to go away the first weekend to see Benjamin in Warner Robins, the young kitten taken care of by Alison's friend, Cheryl. Alison gleefully shopped for supplies and toys in Warner Robins.
The poor, kitten. however, was not in good shape. Weaned too soon and riddled with worms, it passed even before we got back home.
I thought the cat thing would now be put on the back burner. No. Alison found another litter of kittens through a church friend, this time somewhat older and sturdier.
You can see Alison holding the kitten in the picture above. His name is Scout. And he is a scout with a vengeance, exploring the house, parkouring all over the place. Strong, fun, healthy, he quickly fit into our home. Pixie and Scout have not been perfect together, but they have developed a grudging respect and are able to be near each other more and more.
But, you know, this is still a cat. I haven't been around many. Alison had a cat named Patches, who, if not super friendly, at least accepted me as part of the family. I think I qualified as Alison's suitor because I was the first human male that Patches liked. Still, there was tolerance but little bonding.
We tried to have outdoor cats for a while, and let's just say...in the areas where we lived, the survival rate of outdoor cats was not long.
When Benjamin was little, Alison got a kitten from a feral litter at a friend's farm. That was Skitty, who was with us for over 16 years. Skitty bonded really well with Benjamin, but I was barely acknowledged. She was not affectionate, at least to me. There was no connection between us.
Then comes Scout. An active but extremely sweet-natured kitten. One who chooses to spend a lot of time around me. Being semi-retired, I'm home a lot, and he choosing to hang with me so much - well, let's just say I've never experienced that with a cat before.
Often, he will settle in near me, resting or sleeping in my chair with me.
Oh, good Lord!
This cat is bonding with me.
And I am bonding with him.
I swear, I am not a cat person.
But I am definitely a Scout person!
Our newest soccer fan!
The Tiger sleeps tonight!
Not a flattering picture of me (that may be an impossibility nowadays) but an incredibly flattering picture of the bonds between me and Scout.
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