I even put this advice into practice a while back and can share it with you now. During one of the hubby’s trips around the world on an oil supply boat (suffice it to say that he has had weird jobs for a military dude), I decided to participate in this grand experiment of family additions. The conversation via satellite phone went something like this:
Me: Hi, Baby! I need a kitty.
Hubby: Sweetie, you already have two cats. Did something happen to them?
Me: No, I just reeeeealllllly need another kitty. (I think my pouty bottom lip may actually have stuck out at this point.) And, I found the perfect one in the paper. You know how Neekie is black and white, and Zoe is grey? Well, there’s a kitty at the shelter who is black and white and grey. It’s not like we’d even know the difference. And, her human parents were killed in a car accident, so she’s an orphan. She needs a mama as much as I need another kitty. See, the universe is getting involved again. I’ve learned to listen. Sooooo…I can stop by the shelter and pick her up tomorrow. She’s really cute! You’ll love her, I promise! (I don’t think I took a breath that whole time.)
Hubby: Right. Another four legs in the house, huh? I think twelve legs are all we really need in our residence at any given time.
Me:
Hubby:
Me: I promise! I love you, Baby!!
Hubby: I know. I must love you, too. (That last was covered by a burst of static, so that might not have been exactly what he said.):-)
For once, I actually listened. I did wait until noon to show up at the shelter with the crumpled newspaper picture in my purse. Albuquerque has such a problem with stray animals that they put ads everyday in the local paper from one of the thirteen shelters highlighting a cat and a dog that need homes. In my defense, it really is tough to ignore the pictures and the stories that go with them. So, when I arrived, ready to add a new family member to trot home with my new kitty, I handed the photo to the animal control chica, but she then proceeded to tell me somebody else had stolen my baby.
What?? The nerve of some people!! Somebody else got there first? Not fair!! I wanted, no, needed a new kitty! I think all of this played out on my face and perhaps the word “sucker” really is printed on my forehead, because soon after that, she asked the magic question. “Would you like to come back and look at the other kitties? We have so many who need homes.” You couldn’t have sunk the hook in my cheek any faster. Zing! Fish on!! Of course I’d be thrilled to go look at the kitties! Silly Goose!
The shelters in ABQ really do a great job caring for the animals in the shelters. However, they have so many cats that they can only afford to keep them for 90 days before they have to put them down. The room with the cat cages was very clean and I could tell the people who worked there really loved the animals. There was a brown grocery sack in one cage to make a hidey-hole for a very shy, scaredy-cat. Others had brothers and sisters together for company; most had toys and very clean litter boxes. As I walked through and looked at the kitties, I tried to stick to grey, black, and white furry-butts, since that was what I had told the spousal unit on the phone. Maybe he wouldn’t know the difference. Besides, what’s a mere four extra legs in the house? We have plenty of room!!
After looking at all of the babies, I selected a short-haired gray and white cat with big blue eyes. I pointed out the kitty to Karen, the volunteer working with the animals that day. She smiled, but then noticed the note tacked to the side of the cage; this cat was reserved for a family who was coming back to get her in two hours. She walked me to another cage, saying that she wasn’t supposed to make suggestions, but she wanted to show me her favorite cat anyway. He very politely sat up tall, adjusted his metaphorical bow-tie, started purring this wonderful tune and reached out to her when she opened his cage. He was the sweetest cat! He was orange and perfect. While I petted him, I saw a similar note tacked to his cage. Crap! “Does he have someone coming for him, too?” I asked Karen. She quickly removed the note. “No,” she told me, “that’s not what that card means. You know we can only keep felines for 90 days before putting them down? Well, this is his last day. He needs a home today, which is why I wanted to introduce you to him," she said, almost in tears.
He looked up at me and patted my cheek with his paw; he was ready to go home. “He’s been in this cage for 90 days? And, he’s this sweet? Of course, I’ll take him.” She looked a little uncomfortable at that point. “Um, he hasn’t been in the cage for 90 days, he’s been here for 180 days. He didn’t get selected at the 90 day point, so the vet put him down…but, sometimes the euthanasia drug cocktail doesn’t take; he woke up. And, he woke up purring. We all love him so much that we decided to restart his clock and today is his second 90th day. I’d take him myself but I’ve got seven at home and my husband would leave me if I brought home another one.” I laughed through my tears. Yeah, my husband was going to be equally as thrilled. But, this fuzzy creature was going home with me!
We named him Lucky. His full name is Damn Lucky To Be Alive Seal, and he is the happiest cat on the planet. Even my cat-sitter thinks so. Lucky sings to himself and purrs ALL the time. He runs around just for fun and has finally developed some thigh muscles. He’d been in the cage so long that his back legs had atrophied and he was kind of knock-kneed when I got him. His smile is genuine. He plays Marco Polo with us when he gets lost in the house which happens daily. He’s probably not the brightest bulb on the tree. The hubby and I frequently say that he has two brain cells – he rubs them together to make heat and light. I’d like to add that they must make happiness, too. He’s just full of it and willing to share.
So, as far as the advice goes, I would highly recommend getting a new cat or dog if you’re having a hard time getting through the separation. Your mate may not be on board in the beginning. But, if the pet is anything like Lucky, your partner will come around. After six years, Lucky is still worth it. He’s helping me get through deployments by keeping me entertained and letting me know I’m loved. I think he knew I was coming to pick him up. He just had to give up one of his nine lives to be there at the right time. Every day I tell him I’m sorry I was almost too late. Every day he tells me that it’s okay. Every day he shows me that he’s happy. I don’t know how I got so “Lucky!”
Ah...sweet Lucky, he is the lucky one!
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