Shelter Cats and Redemption

The ladies at the shelter were all too happy to have us come back to spend more time with Ronald. After a brief visit to Target to pick up a new litter box (and a snack for me, I was back at Little Shelter within the hour.   This time.......they let us walk right back to the cattery.  We were high rollers this time! "Hi we're here to show our son Ronald, I just filled out an application to adopt him," I proclaimed proudly. "Oh, go right on back."  I was an adopter.....again.  God that felt great.  I was an ADOPTER.  I was giving another shelter cat a chance at a forever home, and from the same shelter I got Tyler from.  Aside from sex, there is no better feeling on earth than adopting a cat from a shelter.  Might be even better than sex, but then again I'm getting old. I entered the cattery for the second time that day. For the next two hours, I spent time with the cats, and Ronald.  I found Ronald just where he had been whe...

Jackson Tiger Pepe LePew Drummer Boy would have been 10 today. Just a bit more than 3 weeks since his untimely passing, so this makes today especially hard for me. Nevertheless, let's all take a moment to honor my one and only sweetums. If you have a cat, hug them in his honor. If you don't have a cat, go out and adopt one from your local shelter. I did, and Tucker Jackson is just beginning to realize that after 3.5 years in a shelter, he finally has a forever home. Happy birthday Jackson.  I love you and miss you.  It's not the same without you, and I have yet to sleep as well without you curled up in the crook of my legs at night.  We all miss you.  I know Tyler and Tiger are taking good care of you at the Rainbow Bridge and I know you're watching over us. Until we get to cuddle together again.

This past Sunday the plan was to visit......Little Shelter. The same shelter that I adopted Tyler from all the way back in 2000. Can lightning strike twice? Can I find another Tyler? As is usually the case with shelters, they only have limited numbers of open hours, and Little Shelter was no exception.  On weekends, their open hours are 12-5. With that in mind, I got an early start so we were sure to be at the Shelter just as they opened.  I wanted to spend as much time as possible with the cats, in the hopes of finding just the right fit. If you recall from one of my early blogs, Little Shelter houses their cats in "the cattery." No cages. No restrictions. Just......cats. Cats. Cats. ....and more cats. Get the point?  TONS OF CATS. I really shouldn't eat cookies before I blog.  Sugar rush. Anyway, being a pleasant day, I took the scenic route and we arrived at Little Shelter precisely as they opened at noon.  In fact, we had to wait ...

Anyone remember that awesome show? "In Search Of." Great documentary from the '70's about the search for missing people, alien life, that sort of thing.  Rod Serling narrated the pilot, and after his untimely death Leonard Nimoy took over and hosted the entire series which I think lasted until the early 1980's.  GREAT stuff.  I think they're on youtube. Anyway, it also makes a cute title for: The search. Last night we began the search for a new cat. Too soon?  Not for me.  While no one will ever, EVER be able to replace my Jackson, I like the idea of not waiting too long to adopt a new cat.  With so many cats in shelters needing forever homes, why wait? Besides, Jackson would want it this way. Sophie has taken Jackson's death far harder than I ever expected her to.  Like I said: they were never cuddle buddies.  Yet, she cared for him, and seemed reassured by his presence.  In the nearly two weeks since his passing, Sophie has ...

Presenting..... A video tribute to the one and only Jackson. Remember. Rejoice.  Jackson Tiger Pepe LePew Drummer Boy: 2007-2017.

The worst part about owning a pet? Saying goodbye. Death is a part of life, don't they say?  Well, true, but it never comes when you expect it.  You're never fully prepared for the death of a loved one.  As many times as we experience it, we're never truly ready for it. One more saying that fits.  My favorite, often repeated, lyric from a John Lennon song: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Life sure happened yesterday. My Jackson, my sweetums, crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday.  He was less than one month away from his tenth birthday. To say we weren't prepared was an understatement.  While writing this, twenty-four hours later, I am still numb.  I am still devastated. Since about the fall I'd noticed that Jackson was gradually losing weight, despite the fact that he seemed himself and was eating, drinking, litter-boxing (I made that a word) normally and doing what he usually likes to do.  The v...

This just popped up on my "on this day" in Facebook.   Tiger.  Seven years ago, today. Thought I'd share. What a sweet sweet boy.  How I miss him so.