Dear previous owner: **** off.

Tom said:
I am planning to start fostering cats and/or rabbits very soon- in fact, I had planned to be doing that at least a year ago. But I don't think I'm ready to adopt anybody. Back in late 1994, a cat I had adopted became very ill and we couldn't save her. Only one month later, my "friends" who had given her to me pushed me into adopting another cat. There was nothing wrong with him at all, but I had trouble bonding with him because I wasn't ready for another cat yet.

I remember the feeling well. It's exactly where I'm still at after my last two animals passed.

Dedalus, I'm in upstate New York. Is that anywhere near you?
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We're in the heartland - Iowa to be precise. So not exactly a day trip, but it's (mostly) paved road from here to there I'm sure. :p

I don't have any preference about a cats markings either, personality is key. I had a torti for years that I loved beyond measure. The vet called her a blue cat, I guess because she had a deep gray hue that could appear to some as blue. Another friend said she looked like someone spilled milk on her, because the markings were scattered in no particular pattern. I think she wound up with us because as a kitten no one ended up adopting her since she didn't have definitive, bold markings. It made no difference to us. She won us over with her fierce independence and devotion. It was her love of independence that made us feel so special - because though she insisted upon remaining a free spirit, she chose to devote herself to us only. It's remarkable when a creature who wants nothing to do with anybody - decides that you and you alone are okay to get close to.

I understand your hesitation about adopting after losing one whom you bonded with. Often the relationship is of such a magical nature, one thinks it would be impossible to replicate in another. In my own case - I have often been unable or unwilling to take the time to invest my feelings into too deeply caring for another. However, I've also found that one needn't be in the right frame of mind or heart when it comes to caring for cats in particular. They don't require much, they ask for little and fuss even less as long as they're well fed and have a cozy place to nap. It is in these moments that they sometimes become our most amazing companions - just by virtue of sharing common space. (This has just been my experience - I'm not in any way suggesting you need to adopt a cat if you're not feeling it.) But to put it in perspective in this case - we didn't know what cat we were going to get when we rescued Matilda. She could have been bouncing off the walls and spitting mad at us. And it would not have mattered; the goal was to get her off the streets and into a home where she was safe.

I guess my rambling point is that sometimes these magical bonds lie in a simple twist of fate, a crossing of paths. The blue torti I spoke of above just walked into our lives. We weren't prepared. We weren't ready. But I'm so glad that none of that mattered, because I can't imagine us not spending 13 amazing, wonderful years together after that.
 
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I've seen torties with that color- it's called "dilute tortoiseshell". A neighbor of mine had one, whom he named "Tuna".

Thinking more about this... my problem is that I have more difficulty than most with euthanasia as an end-of-life treatment for companion animals. I know it's a gut-wrenching issue for anyone here on this board- I'm not saying anyone who cares about animals in their care takes it lightly- but for me it's even more of a problem. I'm not okay with just not doing anything for an animal either- that could wind up being an even harder death than they would experience in the wild, which just isn't acceptable. I need veterinary hospice options for my animals.
 
Tom said:
I've seen torties with that color- it's called "dilute tortoiseshell". A neighbor of mine had one, whom he named "Tuna".

Thinking more about this... my problem is that I have more difficulty than most with euthanasia as an end-of-life treatment for companion animals. I know it's a gut-wrenching issue for anyone here on this board- I'm not saying anyone who cares about animals in their care takes it lightly- but for me it's even more of a problem. I'm not okay with just not doing anything for an animal either- that could wind up being an even harder death than they would experience in the wild, which just isn't acceptable. I need veterinary hospice options for my animals.
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Ah...dilute tortoiseshell - that's it. I think someone else must have said that at one time.

You'll adopt when you're ready, Tom. It's easy to see that you are a really good animal person. One would be lucky to share your home.
 
Sorrow is the price we pay for love. With humans, it's often possible to defer the payment for decades. With the shorter-lived members of our families, payment always comes due much sooner.

It's possible to avoid the sorrow, but then we miss out on the love.
 
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Tom said:
I've seen torties with that color- it's called "dilute tortoiseshell". A neighbor of mine had one, whom he named "Tuna".

Thinking more about this... my problem is that I have more difficulty than most with euthanasia as an end-of-life treatment for companion animals. I know it's a gut-wrenching issue for anyone here on this board- I'm not saying anyone who cares about animals in their care takes it lightly- but for me it's even more of a problem. I'm not okay with just not doing anything for an animal either- that could wind up being an even harder death than they would experience in the wild, which just isn't acceptable. I need veterinary hospice options for my animals.
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I do understand this. I don't think you are alone in feeling this way. :hug:
I tend to jump in fairly quickly. I adopted Bogart two months after Thor died. Sadly he was sick and only lived a year. That hit me pretty hard. I was fostering Bratt and Joon at the time so that's how I ended up adopting them. It was the same situation when Cybil died...I was fostering Stella.

I had to euthanize five cats in five years. But I had 19 years of awesomeness leading up to that. My seniors are all gone now and I'm hoping to have many happy years until I have to face that again. Of course, Bratt had to be a brat and break his leg but that was an unexpected and unusual occurrence. That was six months of torture (emotionally and financially). Luckily it had a happy ending.

We all do what we can. There's no right or wrong with something like this.
 
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I just want to say I really appreciate all your comments.

I also want to say: I didn't want to rain on Dedalus' thread, but that's what happened. Could we split the posts about difficult end-of-life issues for our companion animals to another thread?
 
Or, we could just get right back on track and reiterate how beautiful a kitty she is. [emoji4]

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I love that she has long hair. I was always partial to long-haired cats, even though I never had one before Bogart and Ben.
 
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Tom said:
I just want to say I really appreciate all your comments.

I also want to say: I didn't want to rain on Dedalus' thread, but that's what happened. Could we split the posts about difficult end-of-life issues for our companion animals to another thread?
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Don't worry about it, Tom. It's good, we're all friends here! :hugs:
 
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I can't say enough about how good Matilda is. She is about as low maintenance as cats come - and they are already low maintenance to begin with. Right now we have her sequestered in my studio / upstairs bedroom. Obviously, I spend lots of time every day up there - but no matter, she doesn't make a peep whether I am there or not. Of course she loves company - but she's fine with me just going about my business. And when I'm just watching TV, she just plops down beside me. Somebody is going to be very, very happy with this girl.

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Dedalus said:
We will keep her until we find her a permanent, safe and loving home. (Fostering). In our house, not having claws would put her at a great disadvantage. Ours also have in / out privileges which would not work for her. She is an absolute dream though. It will be hard to give her up.
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I'm hoping you find a permanent home for her soon- maybe that will be easier for both of you. Are there rescue outfits in your area who would help you? Not "Alley Cat Allies"- I think their specialty is semi-wild or feral cats, and that doesn't describe Matilda at all. I'm only familiar with cat rescue groups and shelters in my area.
 
Tom said:
I'm hoping you find a permanent home for her soon- maybe that will be easier for both of you. Are there rescue outfits in your area who would help you? Not "Alley Cat Allies"- I think their specialty is semi-wild or feral cats, and that doesn't describe Matilda at all. I'm only familiar with cat rescue groups and shelters in my area.
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Yes there are some organizations that could help us find her a good home. But I'd rather screen the applicants myself. I'll only use them as a last resort.
 
Met the applicant on Friday - she is a very sweet lady and I believe she is a very good cat person. She has one cat that she loves and thought it would be nice for her to have a companion. She just adored Matilda. We told her that she is welcome to try her out for a few days / a week to make sure that she incorporates well into her home and can co-exist with her current cat. Made it very clear that if for some reason it doesn't work out that we will be happy to take her back, no problem.

We are keeping her another week, until Friday - the lady worked this weekend and said she didn't want to take Matilda and not be able to spend time with her. (I thought this was very considerate and wise of her to suggest. It also leads me to believe even more so that she'll provide a good home. She is a good 50 minute drive away - so coming that distance just to see if she wanted the cat is another pretty good sign. Fingers crossed!

Also this gives us a little more time with Matilda which is really nice too.
 
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