Last Saturday RSPCA QLD was having a $50 adoption weekend for all adult cats and dogs. Great! I have been interested in getting a dog for a while now, and living in the country I would just feel a little bit more secure with a dog in the yard. So I went on Saturday morning, waited 10 minutes until they opened - with about 6 other people - and when the gates opened I was off to the dog section. Saw some lovely animals (they only had 4 on display), and only one of those was a contender. A beautiful, shy girl who had a slight malformation of the jaw (which didn't bother me as long as she was healthy) but unfortunately she was way too big for me to feed!
So, discouraged, I swung past the cat cage as I was leaving - and you just know what happened next!
Yes, I found another furry friend to bring home. Smokey was just so sweet and desperate to be patted. If I went out of his sight he meowed, and when I opened his cage he almost jumped into my arms and snuggled his head under my chin. The big mooch knew exactly what to do to worm his way into my affections.
I paid my $50 and brought him home only to face my next obstacles. . . Evie Nyxx and the Kinder. How the hell was I going to introduce this smoochy man to two female adult cats (who have a tight bond!) without WWIII breaking out every few minutes? Thank God I have a spare bedroom, because that is where he spent the majority of the first 4-5 days. I'd sit with him for chunks of time, bring him out for limited cuddling on the couch, and also take him in for quick visits with the girls. It's now day 7 and he is finally able to wander around the house all day without being snarled at.
Evie Nyxx and Kinder have been very good. They are still a little hesitant of his place in the social hierarchy, but I expect that squabble to come over the next couple of days, perhaps weeks. I'm keeping a close eye on things at the moment because when I got Smokey (perhaps a future name change to Shadow?) he was only just over 2.5kg and is quite a skinny and wobbly little man. I think over the next few weeks he'll put on a few kg's (at least another 2) and I'll feel better about him being able to defend himself if needed. At the moment the girls would totally flatten him.
As you can see, he has interesting colouring. The papers say he's a Black Smoke Tabby. I'd never heard of that so of course I Googled it. Apparently it is not a common colouring, but when you see his marking, in person so to speak, they are quite subtle and it takes a while for your eyes to make out the stripes on his body. Easier on his tail and legs, but when he's put on more weight, and the fur regrows on his front leg (shaved for his op - snip, snip!) I'll try to take some better photo's of him. Like Kinder, he has a knack for moving his head right as I take the picture. Frustrating, but feels pretty good when I finally get a picture of them sitting still enough to be in focus ;-D
With a new cat in the house I haven't had much time for reading. I've picked up the new paperback of End of Watch by Stephen King, and have ordered a few more books that I found on special while perusing Book Depository. Hopefully they will arrive by the end of next week. Luckily the new boy is a huge smoochy snuggler so I can get some cuddles while I rug up on the couch to read this winter. Unfortunately, so is Evie Nyxx. If there is to be a battle, I think who sleeps on the bed, or couch, next to me might be it!
Will let you know how it goes. And until next time,
