MetaChat REGISTER   ||   LOGIN   ||   IMAGES ARE OFF   ||   RECENT COMMENTS




artphoto by splunge
artphoto by TheophileEscargot
artphoto by Kronos_to_Earth
artphoto by ethylene

Home

About

Search

Archives

Mecha Wiki

Metachat Eye

Emcee

IRC Channels

IRC FAQ


 RSS


Comment Feed:

RSS

05 June 2013

fuck FIP, and on being "the chosen one" [More:]

"You know, I've realized lately that you never really stop loving once you've loved someone (pets count as someones for me).

You just keep them in a corner of your heart forever and ever, and you keep adding past and current loves, until your heart is all filled up with love."
-- Twiggy

Thank you Twiggy, I've been looking for a way to articulate this, especially to my husband.

We lost Justin, our 10 month old kitten, to dry FIP 2 weeks ago (this was the slow, lingering, hateful kind). As some of you know, we lost our earlier young cat, Kronos, to the wet phase form (the fast, devastating kind) just last year. So of course we played the "coulda, shoulda" blame spiral game, until our vet told us that FIP is exactly as transmissible, and as predictable, as cancer, and we just got extremely unlucky.

So anyway. Yesterday a friend of mine who volunteers at the Humane Society (the same Boulder Valley HS where Jackson Galaxy got his start, incidentally) texted me to say that there was a cat there I really needed to take a look at. I texted back "sorry not in the mood for a new cat right now". "Just go see him" was the response.

So I went, with the idea that, especially in the case of an adult cat stranded in the midst of kitten season, I could at least sponsor him in hopes of giving him more time / leeway for adoption.

Well that was all fine until I walked up to the cage and this beautiful blue-eyed seal fluffball came up to meet me, flopped down and rolled over to reach both paws through the bars in a plea that was as plain as words: "for God's sake, please don't leave me here!" I reached a finger out to scratch his cheek, and he gently took it in his paw and held it to the side of his face, starved for affection. He'd been in that 2'x3' cage, in that harsh, lonely, fluorescent-lit, noisy sterile environment, for at least a month the intake card said, transferred in from Cheyenne, Wyoming. From the empty check form, no one had even bothered to try to meet him yet. The chances of a six-year-old cat being adopted, no matter how healthy or friendly, especially in the midst of kitten season, are pretty slim.

So I went through all the various meet-and-greet discussions with the HS staff. Yes, he is friendly and easy to handle. Yes he is well socialized. No litterbox issues. FIV/FeLV negative. Already chipped. No eye crud or respiratory issues. Big purr. Kind, curious, ankle rub / tail caress kind of cat, eager to investigate and cheek mark every item in the empty office they put us in for meet-and-greet, including jumping up onto the 5' bookcase from the floor, so he's healthy and active. Main concern is that he is very thin and his coat is a mess, tho he certainly did enjoy being brushed.

Then I asked - why was he surrendered, did anyone know?

"Only note on his file was that his owner surrendered him due to "personal problems".

Sigh. The unemployment / homelessness / repo rate in Cheyenne, WY is bad right now, very bad. I'm willing to bet that someone's life implosion became this cat's personal tragedy through no fault of his own.

"OK I'll take him." (inner dialogue: "my husband is going to kill me, to say nothing of what Marlowe's going to think...").

So for the third time in 12 months, with great trepidation and a heavy heart, I brought home an indignant, meowing, wriggling cardboard box, and set it on the living room rug for Marlowe to sniff. He sniffed. Backed away a bit and hissed. The box hissed back. Marlowe turned tail and ran into the next room.

"Well, that's off to an indifferent start."

I set up the guest room with food and water, and released the new guy inside. Hung out with him a bit, then left him to adjust to his new surroundings.

Mr lfr came back from his bike ride about a half hour later. "Um, go look in the guest room, and please don't yell at me."

He went and looked. Spent a few minutes with the new guy. Came back.

"Why would I yell at you? He seems like a great cat. Have the 2 of them met?"

"Yeah, they had a hiss-off, and Marlowe's sulking, so I'm going to give them some time."

So once again we have a new cat sequestered in the guest room, and Marlowe sniffing and sulking around the door. Somehow, beyond all hope or reason, just because that skinny fluffball reached out from behind the bars of that cage, and chose me.

I probably need my head examined, but I just couldn't leave him there.
What a beautiful cat. I'm so glad he chose you. What's his name? And yeah, fuck FIP, and all illnesses that take cats early. I still miss Bailey so much, and I'm sure Lucy (her daughter) does too.
posted by Senyar 05 June | 13:29
So sorry for your loss. And good on you for bringing home a new cat to love! I hope you have many happy years together.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 05 June | 13:39
Thanks, Senyar. His given name from his earlier owner is Sapphire, but not only does he not respond to it, it doesn't seem to fit him well either (it's more a lady-cat name, I think). He does come when you call him with a generic "kitty, kitty..." and the associated noises, so it's not that he isn't well socialized. For whatever reasons he just didn't choose that name.

I saw your comment about Lucy and the thistle earlier. Thank goodness that so far our cats have shown zero interest in eating anything besides a few blades of grass and their actual food.
posted by lonefrontranger 05 June | 13:44
Thanks TPS, and yeah, I hope the Fates, or whomever, cut us a break with this guy. I sure hope his appetite picks up too, because he doesn't have a spare ounce on him right now.
posted by lonefrontranger 05 June | 13:48
A very lucky kitty.
posted by arse_hat 05 June | 15:12
So glad for you and the loving puffball. What a beauty. And thanks, thanks, thanks, for rescuing this poor kitty from his cage. Condolences to Marlowe, who will undoubtedly get over it.
posted by bearwife 05 June | 16:18
I think you did the right thing. And I hope you find a name for him soon.
posted by TrishaLynn 05 June | 16:46
I think it'll be a case of him finding his own name, really. Despite being affectionate and even more playful* than Marlowe, he has quite a bit of that ineffable "Henri" sort of dignity about him, too. So certainly not a cutesy name, which is why "Sapphire" (an "item" name, not a "personal" name) really doesn't fit him in either my estimation or, apparently, his.

*I haven't yet purged the house of all of Justin's various little toys and knicknacks because oh, god, there were so many and they keep turning up everywhere. So since our new boy was eager to play with various toys at the shelter, I gave him a couple of the little tinsel balls that were Justin's erstwhile favorites. Despite being a dignified gentleman-cat, he shows quite a bit of flair and verve for stalking and "killing" sparkle balls.
posted by lonefrontranger 05 June | 17:18
I think to this day of the big, dignified, yet friendly and sweet male cat I failed to adopt at the pound because I had a male cat who would have never gotten over it. His name was Sebastian. To me that conveys both stately majesty and adorableness. Just tossing it out there.
posted by bearwife 05 June | 17:27
What better way to honor the memory of your lost cats than to give this new fellow a home... He seems a lovely calm spirit.

We once had two adult male cats who started out hissing (well, the new one did most of the hissing, and hiding) and ended up best of friends, chasing each other around at night and laying on their sides and batting their back paws together (don't ask me).
posted by Pips 05 June | 18:18
You don't need your head examined, lfr. Cats are just irresistible that way. Nothing wrong with that! He's very pretty. Post more pictures some time!
posted by halonine 05 June | 19:23
Yay! New kitty, and clearly a lot of love in your heart already to bring this beautiful guy home.
posted by Twiggy 05 June | 19:47
Also, big hugs for the kitties who you lost.
posted by Twiggy 06 June | 02:37
I know how hard it can be to make a brave leap and bring a new kitty into your life. You do know that they pick you instead of the other way around, don't you?

This one knew there was so much kindness and love in your soul that you'd be a good fit. Now it's up to Marlowe to find a place for him.

I bet his appetite will improve once he's settled. Otherwise, talk to your vet. Mine gave me a perscription for a people medicine to increase my older kitty's appetite. He heard about it from another vet and it's actually an antihistamine (I think) called Cyproheptadine. I give 1/4th tablet every now and then when my kitty is feeling meh about food. But I bet your new guy will be fine soon.

Yay for you and mr lfr for being such good folks.
posted by mightshould 06 June | 05:10
Oh - I'm so sorry about the kitties you lost, but so glad you were able to give this guy a good home. I hope Marlowe comes around soon.
posted by needlegrrl 06 June | 08:53
thanks everyone! I think we are all a little verklempt in different ways. Marlowe is already coming around a bit, to the point where we can already let them both free roam the house when we are there to monitor things. There's still a bit of hissing and drama, but only when someone feels encroached upon, and it's not gotten nasty so we're letting them sort it out. This morning M let the new guy pass within a foot of him to go out onto the patio without fussing, so that's good progress. He's also sulking and stalking less.

New Kitty has eaten a little bit more. I saw on the notes we got in the shelter packet that they had been concerned about that since he hadn't been eating much at the shelter either. I've tried every trick in the book I know without much success. I think was a dry kibble fed cat because he doesn't even seem to register that the other stuff we've tried (tuna? sardines? baby food? duck pate? Fancy Feast? seriously?) is even food. I've made an appointment with the vet to take him in tomorrow for a full run-down and possibly some appetite stims as well.

I slept with him last night in the guest room because otherwise he will cry and roam the house at night. My guess is that on top of all the change/upheaval he may be pining for a former owner. I wonder if he belonged to someone that passed away and got handed off to someone who couldn't or wouldn't take care of him. It would explain a lot. Last night he'd cry a bit and then I'd say something to him, he would jump on the bed and purr while I stroked him, but then he'd go back to restless wandering. He finally settled down when I let him burrow under the covers. He tunneled all the way down to the small of my back and slept pretty soundly like that until morning (how the hell do cats breathe like that? idk, but some really seem to enjoy it...). My guess is that he's lonely and sad and will probably recover as he settles into our routine.
posted by lonefrontranger 06 June | 09:24
oh and bearwife - I do like Sebastian; my mom grew up with a big grey Sebastian over fifty years ago (we still have family photos somewhere). He died when I was tiny so I only have vague memories of him. I'll run it by everyone. Like I said, I think this is a cat who'll "choose" his own Name.
posted by lonefrontranger 06 June | 09:32
Sounds like a fabulous and wonderful addition to your family. FYI, when we adopted our big black and white girl, Cleopatra (who totally owns her Name in ways we didn't realize when we got her), she was a very, very, very picky eater too. To this day she will only eat wet food if it is seafood, and one particular brand of dry food.
posted by bearwife 07 June | 14:45
No Small Children || Please hope me! What should I read?

HOME  ||   REGISTER  ||   LOGIN