I have two cats, Sydney who was born in January 2008 and is currently three and a half years old, and Roxy who was born in October 2007 and is almost four years old.
Sydney is a grey Bengal/Persian cross that I spontaneously “adopted” while working at a pet store. A customer came in to drop off four kittens for us to adopt out. She didn’t want them because they were not pure bred Bengals, so they were not worth much money. Our store was not able to take animals directly from a customer due to the fact that we had a contract with an existing adoption agency.
I was holding one of the kittens in my hands as I consulted my manager regarding any other options we might suggest to the customer as to where she might be able to bring the kittens. Upon returning to the front of the store to discuss options with the customer, we found that she had left, taking the remaining kittens with her. I was left with an adorable, chatty, malnourished little kitten in my hands, knowing that I could not just take her home without hearing it from my mother.
So, I brought her to my dad’s first, knowing that he would welcome the sight of my newly acquired ball of fur. I was right. My dad loved her, and my mother was not at all happy with the fact that I had brought home another animal. I already had a hedgehog and 3 fish tanks at this point, and had previously nursed 3 wild baby bunnies back to health. So, until I moved out, my mother insisted that Sydney (who was yet unnamed) would have to come with me everywhere I went.
I took her with me everywhere, just as my mom had insisted, but it ended up being more of a blessing than a burden. Sydney and I formed a very close bond, and now, three and a half years later, she is still a momma’s girl. She cuddles and lets people pet her when they come to visit, but she always ends up coming back to me, and I love it <3
Now for Roxy. She is much smaller than Sydney, but don’t let her size fool you! She is now a cat who is full of spunk and is not afraid to tell you when you are getting in her space. My one friend loves to force her to cuddle, and she does this hilarious combination of protesting and purring. Eventually, her friendly side takes over, and she concedes to the cuddles. She has not always been like this, though.
When I first got her, Roxy was living in a home with approximately 50 other animals, including snakes, spiders, lizards, fish, birds, ferrets, dogs, and other cats. She was not getting the attention she needed, and she was essentially terrified of everything that moved. My friend who lived in this home asked me if I would be willing to adopt Roxy, but that if I was interested, I would first have to come and make sure I was willing to take her on, because she was "an angry little cat".
I went over to meet Roxy, and my friend brought her out of the bedroom, as she hissed and screamed and dug her claws into his skin. He pried her off his body, and handed her to me. I spoke to her in a calm voice, and immediately, she started purring, allowing me to hold her close and pet her. I was in love, and she could tell. I took Roxy home that night, and gave her a flea bath. Nothing says "Welcome Home" better, right?
Thanks for "listening."
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| Sydney - March 2011 |
Sydney is a grey Bengal/Persian cross that I spontaneously “adopted” while working at a pet store. A customer came in to drop off four kittens for us to adopt out. She didn’t want them because they were not pure bred Bengals, so they were not worth much money. Our store was not able to take animals directly from a customer due to the fact that we had a contract with an existing adoption agency.
I was holding one of the kittens in my hands as I consulted my manager regarding any other options we might suggest to the customer as to where she might be able to bring the kittens. Upon returning to the front of the store to discuss options with the customer, we found that she had left, taking the remaining kittens with her. I was left with an adorable, chatty, malnourished little kitten in my hands, knowing that I could not just take her home without hearing it from my mother.
So, I brought her to my dad’s first, knowing that he would welcome the sight of my newly acquired ball of fur. I was right. My dad loved her, and my mother was not at all happy with the fact that I had brought home another animal. I already had a hedgehog and 3 fish tanks at this point, and had previously nursed 3 wild baby bunnies back to health. So, until I moved out, my mother insisted that Sydney (who was yet unnamed) would have to come with me everywhere I went.
I took her with me everywhere, just as my mom had insisted, but it ended up being more of a blessing than a burden. Sydney and I formed a very close bond, and now, three and a half years later, she is still a momma’s girl. She cuddles and lets people pet her when they come to visit, but she always ends up coming back to me, and I love it <3
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| Roxy - March 2011 |
Now for Roxy. She is much smaller than Sydney, but don’t let her size fool you! She is now a cat who is full of spunk and is not afraid to tell you when you are getting in her space. My one friend loves to force her to cuddle, and she does this hilarious combination of protesting and purring. Eventually, her friendly side takes over, and she concedes to the cuddles. She has not always been like this, though.
When I first got her, Roxy was living in a home with approximately 50 other animals, including snakes, spiders, lizards, fish, birds, ferrets, dogs, and other cats. She was not getting the attention she needed, and she was essentially terrified of everything that moved. My friend who lived in this home asked me if I would be willing to adopt Roxy, but that if I was interested, I would first have to come and make sure I was willing to take her on, because she was "an angry little cat".
I went over to meet Roxy, and my friend brought her out of the bedroom, as she hissed and screamed and dug her claws into his skin. He pried her off his body, and handed her to me. I spoke to her in a calm voice, and immediately, she started purring, allowing me to hold her close and pet her. I was in love, and she could tell. I took Roxy home that night, and gave her a flea bath. Nothing says "Welcome Home" better, right?
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| Roxy & Sydney July 2009 |
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