Carrie’s Ramblings

A Lion and a Lynx
Carrie posted in What's happening on December 11th, 2010

I wrote this article for a local paper who does a Pet Adoption Success story every once in a while, encouraging people to adopt pets from the shelter.

A Lion and a Lynx

After going through the painful process of putting down our 16-year-old cat, my partner Ryan and I were hesitant about going to the shelter. I felt like I never wanted to love again if that was how it had to end. The loss of a pet is never easy, but the silver lining for both of us was that we could now open our home to a cat who might need a friend. We both liked the idea of adopting an older cat from the shelter; one who had seen his share of tough times and needed a warm sunbeam or comfy lap to relax in his old age.
Within about seven seconds of meeting “Dill”, Ryan was completed smitten. I was horrified. “We can’t get that cat, he’s a small lion. He’ll crush us in our sleep!” I said. Dill was an enormous orange cat whose desire for affection was almost overwhelming. I was won over about ten seconds later.
“You know,” I said to Ryan, “we could get two cats. They could keep each other company, and once you have one cat another isn’t that different.” However, our desire for an older cat was completely undermined by a spunky little kitten with a disproportionally long bushy tail, and six toes on each foot. They both came home with us that day.
“We have a kitten?” Ryan looked at me slightly amused. I shrugged my shoulders and grimaced, “What could I do? We connected.” With long tufts of hair coming out of his ears, his grey tabby colour, and huge snowshoes for feet he looked just like a little lynx.
A little patience was needed when we first brought them home, as they were nervous about the change and hid in secret nooks and crannies in our house. Now “The Boys” have gotten over the Hide-under-the-bed-all-the-time stage and have taken over their new kingdom. Here we are a month later and you would think our house was built specifically for them. ‘Every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.’
Dill is now Phineas, the Lion King, and his second favourite spot is sprawled out on the foot of our bed; his number one spot is anywhere that is on top of someone. We should have a sign on our door that reads: “Do not expect to sit down in this house without a cat in your lap.” The spunky little stray kitten was instantly named Zephyr, the West Wind who has come crashing into our home. Zephyr can’t sit still long enough to have a favourite spot. In true kitten nature everything is interesting and he always needs to be part of the action, following us wherever we go. He’s often bugging Phineas to play with him, though he still hasn’t figured out that 4 extra toes doesn’t improve his traction on hardwood floors.
Introducing two cats to a new home has not been without its challenges: Zephyr needed to be neutered and when we brought him home from the vet Phineas thought he was an Evil Space Creature or something. There followed a week of tension and stress with cat fights all night, fur flying and the whole house turned upside-down. It was also the first time I’ve ever bathed a cat (it was recommended to get the smell of the vet off of Zephyr). I didn’t know a cat could make noises like that! Phineas absolutely will not share the bed and is unfazed when pushed out, simply readjusting and making himself comfortable on top of us. He’s also crushing my arm right now as I try and type this. We still catch both felines on the kitchen counters though they jump down right away because they know it’s not allowed. And the training of a stray cat to use a litter box is still not complete. Ryan growls in frustration and mumbles something about the stupid cat, but then I catch him and Zephyr curled up together on the couch for an afternoon nap. How did we end up with such a pushy lion and a troublesome lynx?
Every now and again I visit the Mae Bachur website and look at all the cats we couldn’t take home with us. I’m sad to see some of our favourites still haven’t found somebody to love, but smile when I notice different profiles disappear from the website as they find their “forever homes”. At night when the four of us snuggle up together in bed and struggle for our share of covers or pillow space, Ryan and I are happy that Phineas and Zephyr have proven worthy successors of our old cat.

“Another cat? Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be re-sown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a worn-out coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four-cats-old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.” ~ Irving Townsend