Being the crazy cat lady that I am, I sprung up from the couch and ran to the back porch window where everyone was watching this really adorable cat trying to find a way into the house. My heart immediately started breaking.
Well, my friend happens to live two doors down from the house I used to live in with another friend (follow?), whose house I still have the keys for. So I ran next door and grabbed some cat food (she has two kitties), threw it in a Ziploc® baggie and went back outside. When I looked up, this cat was, seriously, galloping down the sidewalk toward me. I was happy, yet so sad at the same time.
I sat with this guy on the sidewalk for a while, and we had a conversation. He ate a tiny bit of food, but mainly tortured me with his cuteness as he rolled around on the grass, picking up a few leaves here and there with his long hair. I tried to walk away from him numerous times, but it just wasn't happening. So, I sat down on the front porch steps of my friend's house, trying in vain to convince myself to NOT take him home with me under any circumstances whatsoever. That's when he walked up to me, crawled up on my lap and curled up into a ball. I wrapped my arms around him to keep him warm and a few minutes later, he was sound asleep.
Yep, that was it, of course. I scooped him up and put him in my car. I walked back to the party to let everyone know I was leaving and as soon as I walked in the door, my friend said, "You're taking that cat home, aren't you?" I replied, disgusted with myself and the stupid big heart I have for all furry things. "Ugh. Yes."
Well my fears were realized as soon as I opened the door to my apartment and this guy saw my cat, Harley. There was much fighting the first night -- but not because Harley is a jerk but because THIS GUY is. Harley is the friendliest dude ever, and just wanted to sniff and check out the visitor. That was not going to happen.
Everyone ended up surviving the night, but when I got up in the morning to look for the long-haired house guest, I couldn't find him anywhere. After at least 5 minutes of searching, he turned up here:
Oh em gee, are you not in love with this guy? I knew, however, that keeping him was not going to work out. This was on a Sunday, and the next day I was planning to take him to the animal shelter. I went home on Monday afternoon during my lunch break, picked this guy up and drove down to the Summit County Animal Control Facility. I just couldn't get out of the car for some reason, so I sat there and stared at him in the back seat, trapped in my kitty "travel bag." And then started crying my eyes out. I looked up more information on the shelter on my phone and read that it is a "high-kill" shelter. That's what did me in. I hightailed it out of there and took him back to my place, deciding to take more time to figure out what to do with him.
That evening, I gave him a bath, which ended up being quite a procedure.
He's a very soft and poofy guy, and very lovey-dovey. He's a bit clumsy because of his mitten paws (he has six 'fingers' on each of his front paws), and it's just about the cutest thing you've ever seen. My favorite part, and the first thing I noticed about him, is the long hairs he has on his chest that look like the mane on a lion.
I took him to the vet the week after, and it turns out that he's a healthy guy. He was not thrilled about getting shots; I could hear him screaming bloody murder from across the hallway and it made me feel so bad because I hate shots more than most things in life. After I paid the bill for that visit, I decided he was definitely going to be staying with me a while, as he was now a major investment that cost me about 3 new Gap sweaters. This week, he's about to get kicked out, however, because he keeps terrorizing Harley and that shit just isn't going to fly in the Papoi household.
I've named him Rascal, because, well... he is one. And as much as it breaks my heart, he'd be most happy in a house where he is the only cat (or only pet, really). He'll make a great companion for someone one day: He sleeps up in my bed with me, he sits on the bathroom counter when I get ready in the morning, he protects me from birds landing on my balcony, but the most important thing is that he will love you like crazy. So if you or someone you know needs a best friend, let me know. Because sometimes, if you really love a cat (or a human), you just have to let them go.
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