I Really Got a Lame Excuse

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I remember my sister, Julie, telling me once about her freshman high school experience. She said that many people told her their horror stories about freshman year (9th grade) while she was still in 8th grade; however, when she finally made it to the ninth grade, she said to me, “It was nothing like they said it would be. It was totally okay.”

Today, I had an experience in which I felt the same way. Someone told me that their experience would be mine. I didn’t believe them, and I thought less of them for thinking that their experience would be mine. I rarely say I hat…err, dislike things, but today, I felt the cat adoption process had gotten a bit out of control.

Currently, I have two male cats, Liam and Thunderbolt. (It was Thundie and CZ when it wasn’t Thundie and Liam.) Over the years, I introduced two male cats into the mix. These cats were Redley and Black Cat.

Redley (whose really name was Brody) was my neighbor’s cat. Brody was their daughter’s cat, but she moved out, and then they made Brody an “outdoor” cat. And, as any person knows, domestic cats are not outdoor cats.

It would be snowing and freezing out, and there was Redley at the backdoor. I’d let him in. Thundie and CZ would hiss and complain a bit, but then Redley would make his way upstairs, settle himself at the end of my bed, and sleep. He had the annoying habit of waking at 2am, and then I would bring him downstairs to the litter box. He would go, and then he’d find a comfy place in the house and fall back to sleep.

Unfortunately, one morning, I called him, and he didn’t come. I think the coyotes got him. And, I never saw him again.

Then, Black Cat happened to be on my porch one day. He was a beautiful long haired domestic. He reeked of cigarette smoke, and he would not leave the porch.

It was as if, he had run away from one place, and he knew my house was the first step in the Cat Witness Protection Program. I finally figured out that he must belong to the obnoxious tenants who rented the house behind mine. It was just that Black Cat moved out long before the obnoxious tenants were legally required to.

Black Cat lived in the bushes around my house for a week; however, it was apparent after that week that he should become a part of the tribe. He then moved indoors. Thundie and CZ greeted him with a few hisses at first, but then they treated him very kindly, like he was one of the Band of Brothers. And a few weeks later, I had found him a home with our pet sitter.

Today, I received an email from Nestle’s foster mom. She said, “Thanks for submitting an application for Nestle. I didn't realize when I spoke with you that both of your other cats were males. Our experience has been that ‘two's company, three's a crowd’ when it comes to integrating male cats. Even though Nestle hasn't been bad with the other cats that he has met, we really feel he'll do better with only one other cat. It's just our opinion, but we think it might be better for you to consider adding a female cat to your crew.”

It’s one thing to have an opinion; it’s another to make that opinion apply across the board. Nathan I and were both upset. We thought this double-pawed handsome man might potentially be ours.

I thought it very good that they checked my references (my vet) throughly; however, in a time where shelters are overflowing, I thought it particularly sad that Nestle would lose a home with us, because they decided, before he ever even made it into our home, what his Fate would be.

Anyway, here's to Nestle finding a good home soon. As one friend reminded me (♥Thanks, Tomas!♥), it stinks; however, I am glad there are people who care so deeply (no matter if I disagree) rather than the alternative. Certainly, the world would be better a better place if there were more people like that in it. ♥