Barbara's Blog: RJD Day 3 Prompt

Sharing Day 3 of Random Journal Day's 21 "Days of Journaling in January" - Check it out here and join the fun!

Looking back on my life, I can't recall many times when we didn't have a pet; most often I had a cat, but we have also had dogs in the family as well. I think I recall a bird or two, like our grandmother "Nanna" also had. And there may have been some hamsters or other creatures my brothers may have had! Luckily, there were NO snakes in our household!!

I am not sure what put the idea in my head - or actually on my heart - to get another pet, a cat...but it could have been because of losing Honey...

When we had to move from our house into an apartment, we were not in a financial position to pay a Pet Application Fee or the additional monthly fee to have a pet. After trying to work things out to keep her, my son and his family finally decided to take our cat, Honey, who was then about 17 years old, to live with them in Louisiana.

Honey ready for Vacation

A while after "moving" to Louisiana, we learned Honey had disappeared, and has never been found or come back to my son's home. This information saddened me because she had been such a big part of our family for almost 20 years.

Maybe this was a reason for having a heart for for getting a new pet?

I had been thinking about getting another pet for a while. But instead of getting a kitten (or cat) from someone we knew whose pet had babies, I was was thinking of adopting one and giving a homeless animal a "Fur-ever Home".

So began the research!

While browsing the website for the local Humane Society, I found they had a lot of kittens and cats available, from a couple of months old to several years old. I browsed their pictures and found several that looked like what I wanted! But, choosing a "fur-ever friend" was more than just looking at their pictures! Holding and loving and bonding with them was an important step!

Once we made up our minds and determined our finances would allow us to adopt a pet (the extra pet deposit plus an addition "rent" amount), I started "collecting" the supplies we would need: a pet carrier, a bed, a brush, food dishes, toys...

and I kept browsing the pictures of those available - looking for the right one!

I knew that once we actually went to choose our "fur-ever friend", many I had seen online would no longer be available; but I kept looking until...

FINALLY...

We set the date for "adoption day" and drove to the Humane Society. My first choice was an older Siamese mix named "Ernie"; but when we arrived, we discovered he had been adopted - a very good thing for Ernie; but sad for me!

We interacted with several of the cats available; mostly the black or black/white ones! After spending time with several, I was drawn back to one I had seen online, and seemed to be bonding with us.

Midnight

Adoption Day

9/19/13

Midnight was 1 1/2 years old and had been at the Humane Society for a few months - after being fostered and then adopted for one night (she had to be returned due to the owner's pet allergies she thought she had outgrown). Midnight was a beautiful tuxedo cat that I fell instantly in love with!

So, Midnight came home with us and quickly settled in to her new home. She loves to lay on our laps or beside us on the couch while watching TV; and sleeps there when we go to bed. She never did take to sleeping in her cat bed - but found many other places to sleep...