What did you look for when you decided to adopt a cat and/or a dog? How did it work out?
This is Magda, our youngest.We have two older cats, Bumble and Chance, both male.We had recently lost my sweet Rabbit - she was my cat, and I was her human - and it was difficult for me. I missed her terribly, but swore I couldnu2019t go through that again. We had two cats I would have to eventually lose, and I just didnu2019t think I could bear it more times than that.But it was hard watching Bumble and Chance, because Chance is very bonded to Bumble, who is quite elderly. When Bumble goes (and I fear it will be this year), Chance will grieve terribly, so we agreed that we needed to get another cat as a companion for him. So off to the shelter.I wanted an adult cat this time, but my husband was adamant we get a kitten. I kept pointing out that kittens are a lot of work, I just knew Iu2019d be doing most of it, and I really, really didnu2019t want to. But, nope - kitten. I reserved the right to pick it out, and he agreed.We had to wait for kitten season, but the shelter finally had their fosters back and were ready to adopt them out. We spent time with several, and I was favoring a silky little medium-long hair with muted grey and black markings. She was going to be one elegant cat when she grew up. She wasnu2019t too timid, but seemed more interested in the room than she was in me. Another kitten was a bit timid, but he was also more of a tabby.See, we had had two black cats before, and Chance is a ginger, and Bumble is a Siamese mix, and I had this weird idea that we should get something different. (What a stupid thought. Itu2019s the personality, not the coat. )So I decided weu2019d take the little medium-long hair I had been visiting with.The attendent put them both back, as they didnu2019t adopt out any animal without getting them fixed first, so we had paperwork and money to hand over and weu2019d come back to pick her up after her surgery.We watched them put back into the enclosure with the rest of their siblings, and started to walk out, just as someone walked by with a big dog. All the kittens jumped back in alarmu2026except one. She threw herself at it, literally plastered herself all over the glass front, and you could just hear her going, u201cWhatu2019s that? Whatu2019s that? I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE!u201dWell, that was it. The sheer moxie and curiousity got me. I told my husband and the attendent I changed my mind and I wanted that one.We picked her up a week later. She settled right in, eventually revealed herself to be a u2018Magdau2019, and she was a monster.Oh my GOD but sheu2019s been a lot of work. Sheu2019s smart as a whip, fearless, and the most willful cat we have ever had. She learns things almost immediately, and almost as immediately finds ways to disobey/get around it/subvert it. I constantly complain, and my husband constantly reminds me, u201cYou picked her out.u201dBut sheu2019s also so damn adorable. She loves to cuddle. She purrs like a freight train. She taps me on the face when she wants my attention. She wants to lay across my lap when Iu2019m at the computer, and across my throat when weu2019re in bed. (It was cute when she was little, but now itu2019s a constant battle between wanting to have that warm, soft, purring kitty that close, and being able to breath.) She loves to play fetch, and just when we thought a particular toy was gone forever and offered her a new one, sheu2019d pop up with the old, disgusting one. Now we say, u201cGo get mouseu201d and we never know which one sheu2019ll drop in our hands.And she and Chance bonded almost immediately.We love her so much.