Your Cat's Name, Age (when adopted and now), and Gender
Smokey was a gray female, just a couple of weeks old when I adopted her. Lived to be 17 before passing due to cancer which caused respiratory problems.
Other cats adopted after the "breakthrough" cat
Smokey came with her siblings, Squeaker, Cuddles, Mischief and Scamper. Since I lived in the country, many cats were dumped off so I have adopted many others over the years--Ruffles, Kirma, Goldilocks, Gertie, Phantom, Merlin, Sierra, Hobo + Squiggles (two twins), Eclipse, Autumn, Gem, Cinderella
How I met my first cat
I was watching an old movie on tv--as a strange parallel it was night + raining both in the movie + outside. I heard a little sound When I investigated with a flashlight I found a gray kitten at the bottom of the cellar steps--soaking wet, looking like a drown rat. I took her in the house to dry her off. 15 mins later I heard a similar sound. It turned out that it was taking the mother cat 15 mins to get from my house to where the kittens were and back again. She ended up bringing 5 kittens over. They were only a couple of weeks old, she was still nursing. I brought all of them in, got food + litter for my new family
How this cat wormed its way into my heart
I had grown up around dogs. My mother thought cats were sneaky but tolerated having a dog outside. I had planned on getting a dog. When the kittens showed up at my doorstep, they brought so much love and snuggles that I could not bear to part with them. Originally I was going to keep just one and find homes for the others. But when they were old enough to be weaned I realized I could not part with any of my babies and they became my family. All were made house cats after Mischief suffered a broken hip from being hit by a car. She was lucky to survive. Most have lived long lives--reaching 14 years old or more. A couple have had health issues---3 with cancer, 2 diabetics, 2 with hyperthyroid but with meds their condition was brought under control to allow me several more years with them. They sleep with me every night, comforted me during my own battle with cancer and never cease to amuse me with their antics. I could not imagine living without them.
Advice
- My advice is to open your heart to the possibility of sharing your life with a warm snuggly kitten or cat. Several of mine were fully grown when I got them--two were already over 12, and they still enriched my life. I would suggest getting 2 together so they have a furry playmate---mine love to wrestle and chase each other.
