A Very Special Announcement

[kellinator]

Last weekend I went up to see the nice people at For Paws Sake, who had promised to bring a little orange tabby for me to meet. For a number of reasons, I was considering getting a kitten. I planned for this kitten to be male, hoping that would be easier on Heidi, and orange, because the two sweetest, most loving cats I've ever known were orange.

You know what they say: Man plans, God laughs.

The orange tabby decided he wanted to get away and ended up jumping in the cat carrier of a lady that was there to get her cats' nails clipped. The cat whose carrier had been usurped, Isabella, was relatively calm about this. She was just a sweetheart, pretty and friendly and good-natured. When I remarked on this, Isabella's owner explained she had gotten her from For Paws Sake and those were her sisters in that cage over there. I was so impressed with Isabella that I picked up one of her sisters, a gorgeous medium-haired five-month-old named Katie.

Katie reached up with her little paw and touched my face, and it was all over.

Katie is a mookitty, as I've seen them referred to: white with black spots, like a Holstein cow. She's not yet mastered the concept of feline grace; she keeps falling off the couch while playing. She LOVES food. She's most affectionate when I'm eating, but that's only because she wants my food. The little scamp stole a piece of penne from me the other night.

And how, you might ask, is Heidi doing with all this?

Well, I won't lie and say she was pleased. In fact, I have a bite nearly an inch long on my hand that proves she wasn't. Several people informed me I should be prepared for the two to hate each other for at least two weeks; well, it's been less than one and Heidi's stopped with most of the hissing. They're showing tentative signs of curiosity and friendliness, or at least I think so: touching noses, sniffing butts (gee, I'm so glad that isn't a human thing). They'll even sit near each other.

And though I can't say for sure whether it's Katie's influence or not, Heidi is chilling out. She's much more interested in being petted, and less likely to hide.

Katie was not a replacement for Heidi. They're their own cats with their own personalities. Heidi's greatest joy these days is playing -- her current favorite is a flying-type toy called Da Bird, and when she wants to make her point that she is a deadly predator and not to be messed with, she'll just grab the feathered part and sit on it. In the weeks since she's come to live with me, she's lost noticeable weight as a result of all her playing. Katie's most energetic whenever I'm asleep. Early this morning she knocked over a vase and made a racket. I tried to keep her in the bathroom at first while I was at work, just in case Heidi decided to beat her up; Katie decided she'd had enough of that pretty quickly and ducked way under the bed. They crack me up with the litter box. If I dare look at Heidi while she's doing her business, I'm just asking for it; Katie, on the other hand, will jump in while I'm cleaning.

And last night, with both of them cuddled up to me on the couch, I felt like a very, very lucky woman.

Comments

[tfcocs.livejournal.com]

Is your new princess a tuxedo cat, or solely a mookitty?

I know how you feel about the second kitty syndrome. I got Felix for Oscar so that he could have someone to play with.

PS: Your story brought back all my fond kitty memories!

[leezechka.livejournal.com]

My cat is an Oscar! a tuxedo Oscar. named after the muppet.

[tfcocs.livejournal.com]

Oscar is named for the Oscars, since he is already dressed for the event. He has a brother, Felix (like from the Odd Couple), too---see icon.

[leezechka.livejournal.com]

heh heh your oscar looks like mine! they are twins.

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

Yay for kitties! I came home this afternoon to find Merlin and Nimue snuggled together in what had formerly been Nimue's nest. Now if only Kethri would consent to allow Nimue near her....

[herroyalflyness.livejournal.com]

Keep an eye on that bite.

A moose bit my sister once...

No, that's not what I meant. My cat bit me once and before it was over I had a tetanus shot, a big ol' shot of antibiotics in the butt, a 10-day Rx for antibiotics, and a day and a half of missed work.

Yay kitties!

[spiritchaser1.livejournal.com]

Cow kitties rock! Every one I've known was just "quirky", if not a little ditzy.
Good luck with the adjustments, especially with Heidi cat.

[trillian42.livejournal.com]

Awesome :)

[nyxalinth.livejournal.com]

Yay!

I knew you'd make a great cat-mom.

I am going to miss my roomate's kitty when I leave florida.

[heathrow.livejournal.com]

awwww :)

[vernard.livejournal.com]

Sounds like things are going quite well. I'm very happy for you and your new family :-)

[kmeghan.livejournal.com]

AWWW!! new additions are fun. It took awhile for Millie to get used to Alistair, and now they are friends...they still have their moments though, esp if Alistair wants to play and Millie is not in the mood. :)

[bast2.livejournal.com]

Cats are more comforting than men.

[shelly007.livejournal.com]

You're lucky. We had Gracie for years, well she was skidmarksteve's cat for two years before we met and she was our only cat for a year afterwards. Then like five or six months ago we adopted Bubba from Pals, through PetSmart. He was a bully from the get go, encouraged by Gracie's instant hate. We adopted him as an adult kitty, so he was already set in his ways. As was Gracie. It's taken an enormous amount of time for the two of them to finally start to get along. They will now share the couch and they play together all the time, chasing each other and sharing toys. They aren't best friends, but it's a lot better than it was. it's funny b/c anything Gracie does, Bubba has to do too. If she's laying on one cusion of the couch or sleeping in a particular chair, then next thing we know Bubba is laying in the exact same spot. He's a big copy cat.

[marlatiara.livejournal.com]

Having 2 cats will make things allllll good.

Also Moo Cows rule. :)

[jerel.livejournal.com]

Awesome!!

I have a moo kitty too! And moo kitties can sometimes get very, very large. Not fat (i.e., belly dragging on the ground) just big.

[soultoad.livejournal.com]

Aww, what a sweet post! Be careful, m'dear, you'll turn into a cat version of me and before you know it, you'll have 8 cats. *grins*

[twisteddaydream.livejournal.com]

~smiles~ I'm so glad that things are going so well!!! Congratulations sweetie!

[not-hothead-yet.livejournal.com]

heh heh

cats are good for your health.

Yay!

[tkappleton.livejournal.com]

Your kitties sound like the same sitch I have with Marie and Louie (Marie is older and more skittish). She has opened up so much with Louie in her life and I love sleeping witgh my two sweethearts. The love to sit on my head and attack my feet under the covers.

Kitty love is the best. I am glad you have two that you can bond with.

[mizdandylynn.livejournal.com]

*smile* two cats is always better than one... I have seldom been able to just have one.. and two is more company for each other as well. I am so glad they are settling down... if only my orange tabby was as friendly as yours.. he is my hubs baby... *sigh* no matter how much I want to love him.

[kth-dragon.livejournal.com]

Yay for kitties getting along! ^..^ I wish you many happy years with both of them.

[stevietee.livejournal.com]

Yay, kitties! :)

And I'll tell you that Pumpkin became SO much calmer and sweeter when we got Violet (he beats up on her, rather than us! ;) ).

[sujata.livejournal.com]

Many heartfelt congratulations! Katie sounds like a darling. :-)

And Heidi will adjust ... eventually. (Even Misty finally accepted that she was not an only cat, anymore, when sufficient time passed to convince her I wasn't going to decide Mercy and Dally were terrible mistakes and find other accommodations for them.) You may want to try to stay out of fangs' and claws' reach for a few weeks, though.

Sending good luck wishes for you and the kitties to settle down into a comfortable routine of togetherness!

*warm hugs*,
Molly