sigelphoenix

Okay, the kitty is now asleep on the floor next to me, so I don't feel bad taking my attention away long enough to write a journal entry ...


Last night when ratzeo and I went to the shelter, there were several cats in residence. At least half a dozen in the general cat room, plus a few more in "solitary" (individual cages where anti-social or special needs cats are put). We took time to meet every one, though I have to say I was drawn to a large tabby boy (with large eyes that gave him a permanently curious, slightly perturbed look), a fluffy cow-kitty (white with black splotches), and a gorgeous little calico girl with white belly and bright green eyes. There was also a tortoiseshell kitten, eight months old and pocket-sized, who - although too bouncy and needy for our household - was still awfully cute, and captivated our attention for a while.

... All the while, a skinny little fellow with long black hair and light yellow-green eyes hovered around us, coming over when invited for pets and investigating toys, but never pushy or vocal.

As time passed and none of the kitties with eye-catching coat patterns or assertive personalities really won us over - or seemed won over by us - ratzeo commented on the long black-haired one, "I think this guy is the sleeper hit of the evening."

So we took a closer look. This fellow was named Bodie, and he was consistently engaged and affectionate. He seemed to take a back seat to the more dominant personalities in the room, which is one of the reasons I hadn't paid too much attention to him, but while he was retiring, he didn't seem frightened or withdrawn. When he came for attention, he was gentle, leaning into pets and happy to be picked up and held.

We were impressed, and decided to read the bio posted for Bodie. It turned out he was estimated at 10 months old - just two months older than the spastic tortie. He had also been found as a stray, and arrived just that day from the Lynnwood shelter. Considering how calm and sweet he was, we were impressed all over again.

We talked it over with the shelter volunteers - we wanted to make sure his young age or retiring personality didn't mean he would be unhappy in an adult-only home where he'd be left alone for eight hours a day. The volunteers gave us realistic advice and expressed hopeful, yet cautious, approval, which I really appreciated.

So! We put a hold on him, went to a nearby pet supply store for necessities, and then came home (after a delicious sushi dinner at a restaurant that is also next to a comic book store - really, this is a great area). Then this afternoon, ratzeo went to finalize the adoption process and bring him home, and by the time I got home from work both my boy and my kitty were there. ♥


So it's now been a few hours since I came home, and several hours since "Bodie" (real name yet to be determined) got here. I think it'd be worthwhile to write down my thoughts so far, and see how they change in a month or even a week.


-He was very attentive when I came through the front door, squirming a little in ratzeo's arms. But he seemed more curious than concerned, and after he got a chance to sniff my stuff, he came right over for pettins.

-His fur is soft like a bunny's.

-I don't think he's stopped purring for longer than thirty seconds since I got home. Seriously, this little cat has a big motor.

-He also makes delightful inquisitive trilling noises all the time, and seems rather chatty. At first I worried his plaintive-sounding meow was a cause for concern, but I think he's just checking in.

-What a trusting little kitty. He jumped up in my lap when I invited him, and now, after a couple of times, he's done it without any hesitation. At one point, I was scratching him under the chin, and his eyes were closed in bliss, and then he huffed a big sigh and fell asleep in my lap. ♥

-Unfortunately, I think he caught a cold at the shelter. One of the kitties was in quarantine for a cold, but I suspect he picked it up from her anyway. He's sneezed several times since I've been here. Now, the shelter volunteers say that a cold is not a cause for worry - I know my friends' cats have had colds before - but it still makes me a little concerned. :/ Luckily he doesn't seem uncomfortable with it, just sneezy, so as long as it clears up in a couple days I think it's okay.

-As I said, he's pretty skinny. I have confidence that he'll fatten up now that he's no longer a stray, and also not surrounded by more dominant cats. So far, he has taken to the dry food quite well, but completely ignored the dried bonito flakes I got as a free sample from the pet supply store.

-However, when I heated up my dinner of salmon (I know, what a mean kitty mom I am ... they're leftover from earlier this week!) he was quite interested. He even tried to get up on the dinner table - but when I blocked him with my arm a couple of times, he stopped trying. I hope it will be relatively easy to keep him off.

-So far, he's shown interest in the (~$4) cloth toy mouse and (~$8) fishing pole toy, and been moderately interested in the (~$15) ball-in-a-donut toy and (~$120) cat tree, and completely uninterested in the (~$50) cat bed.

-The litter box we bought is a covered one with the entrance on top (purportedly to reduce litter tracking). He's used it, and seems okay with both the unusual setup and the natural corn litter. However, he hesitated before getting in, and I have also seen him investigate the litter box without getting in ... I hope he gets more comfortable with it.

-Affectionate, yet self-sufficient. When given the choice, he's seemed more interested in human contact than toys or food, and, like I said, enjoys lap time. However, when I don't pay attention to him, he goes off and does his own thing (for now, that's exploring the apartment). And just now, when I spent more time typing than petting, he jumped off my lap, lay down on the floor next to me, and went to sleep. That's ... that's pretty damn impressive for a just-past-kitten-age cat.


And now, the pictures! Unfortunately, photographing a black cat is bloody difficult, so I don't know how well you'll be able to see what he looks like. I posted one of the best pictures I could get - one of the other best ones is the source of my icon. *points* You can click on the picture to see the rest of the ones I've taken so far.

There's a video, too, so that should help.