Three years of Sophie!

Tomorrow, August 17th, marks three years since Sophie came to live with me.

Three years as the new boss cat.  The alpha cat extraordinaire.  I honestly could not have asked for a better successor to Tyler, as I've mentioned before.  Three years ago tomorrow, she popped out of her carrier, literally, and stormed into our lives.

While Sophie remains the most difficult cat I've ever dealt with, the rough first few weeks/months were definitely worth it.  Today I simply cannot imagine life without her.  She's the matriarch, the center of my family, and she knows it.  No one loves more than Sophie, and no cat gives better hugs or purrs louder.

She's my princess and I love her to pieces.

Let's go back, once again,  to that day when I met her for the first time, shall we?

Sunday, August 17th, 2014

A text popped up on my iPhone.

“We’re outside.”

She's here!  Ashley and I ran outside and met Lindsey, a skinny woman in Capri pants and a tan coming out of a Toyota Rav4. 

“Hi Dan.  I’m Lindsey, this is my mom.”  

“Nice to meet you both.”  The mother was pleasant, despite a look that screamed "I'll beat the shit out of you if you look at me funny kind of look.  Must be a suffolk county thing. 

From the back seat Lindsey produced a cardboard pet carrier with a cartoon of a cat and a dog on it.  It looked more like a party favor than something you would carry a cat in, but no matter.

I showed them inside and gave them a quick tour of the apartment.  It wasn’t that large so the tour didn’t last too long. They seemed anxious to leave.

“OK, well, we’ll leave you with her.  Thanks so much and best of luck.  OH, here are her vet records.” 

Wow, why didn’t they just slow down and chuck the cat carrier from the front window?  Not one sign of emotion.  Some people really tick me off.

“Thanks so much for bringing her.  I’ll be sure to text you photos!” I replied, wanting them to leave myself by that point.

“Great!” We shook hands and they left.  Jackson, hiding under the kitchen table, meowed his usual “are they gone?” type of meow.

I brought her into the bedroom and closed the door.  All of her stuff was ready.  I was an old pro at the whole introducing a new cat into my home thing by now.

Ashley was excited too, with iPhone in hand, trying to capture the moment.  Since she wasn't over when Jackson was first introduced to my home, I was sure to insist that she be here this time, so Sophie would get used to us both from the first moment. 

“OK, let’s open the box.”  I did, and out popped a white and calico face.  Wild eyed, curious, even purring a little.  Like a cat-in-the-box. She sniffed us both, let us pet her, and then ran under the bed.

“Hi Sophie!”

Sophie was home.  Tyler would be pleased.