I had barely recovered from my jet lag after my recent trip to Vancouver when I got caught up in another big distraction: I have adopted a cat! Her name is Fred, short for Winifred (she happily acknowledges either Winifred Holtby or Winifred Burkle as her namesake—or both), she’s approximately two years old, she’s tiny, she’s sweet, and she’s a bit of a pest in the wee hours of the morning.
I had thought for a long time about getting a cat. I had one growing up, an elegant Siamese named Bothwell—I was in a big Mary, Queen of Scots phase when he joined the household. (Maybe Fred should consider herself lucky?) He was a great companion: loyal, eccentric, and independent, so basically a lot like me. During my marriage having a cat wasn’t an option, as my ex-husband is allergic; so too is my daughter, but only to some cats, and she encouraged me to take a chance. (So far, so good: she has visited Fred a few times and even held her, without any noticeable reaction.) I am extremely good at overthinking things, and I also don’t much like making decisions when I can’t clearly foresee the outcome, which is obviously the case when taking on a pet that is going to have her own personality and needs. I just could not get the pro / con list to be decisive either way! Then while I was away I missed out on an opportunity to adopt what sounded like the perfect cat for me, a ragdoll in sudden need of re-homing. My disappointment at not getting her clarified that I did want a cat in my life, and after an unsuccessful visit to a local shelter where the cat I went to meet first threw up at my feet then hid so I really could not get to know him, I got lucky with some help from Cat Rescue Maritimes . . . and here I am, and here we are.
I admit I do feel somewhat overwhelmed at the moment, both at the change to my routines and by my new responsibilities. Also, pet stores have a bewildering array of options now, and the online cat-care debates are already making me crazy. The sleep deprivation definitely adds to this! (Don’t worry: I have set up an appointment with a vet and will try to follow only evidence-based advice rather than random Redditors’.) But Fred is a sweet and incredibly affectionate and trusting little cat. I was cautioned that she would probably just hide somewhere for the first few days, but she immediately explored all the available space, spent a lot of time watching out the windows, then settled on her favorite places to nap. She loves to be held and stroked and purrs like mad when you scritch her head and around her ears—just what Bothwell liked best too. I’m hopeful that we will get better at our nighttime routines. I mean, if she can sleep in this position, surely she can also figure out how to sleep more or less when I do, right? RIGHT?! 🙂
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Congratulations! I love cats and your new one is a beauty! Recently I lost my beloved 16-1/2 year old Tristan, and still grieving him, but we still have 10-year-old Pippin and 6-year-old Melian at my house.
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Lovely!I have had cats all my adult life.they have seen me through heartbreak,loss and illness when PEOPLE have been major disappointments.My latest boy..Ollie..had quite a traumatic time himself so I spent the first six months of our relationship worrying far more about HIS needs than my own.VERY therapeutic.I hope your life with Winnie brings you much joy,Rohan
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No, not Winnie! Never Winnie! 🙂 (That said, I swore when we named our daughter Madeleine that I would never call her Maddie and . . . )
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So oo sorry…I just think cats have a touch of Winston Churchill in their indomitableness..especially little cats and those who have had a hard time!So apologies to Fred and long may she reign!
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Fred will settle in; sheâs still getting to know your routine! However, she clearly knows sheâs home, so that bodes very well for the process. And she is SO pretty. It took a while for Salem to feel at home even though he really knew he was safe and loved. You already know that routine is important (especially feeding times!).
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Thanks for the reassurance, Gisele! I am trying to be quite self-aware about the issue of establishing routines. It helps that I have had to think about that for myself a lot since I started living on my own and I am pretty set in my ways! (So far the one routine that has been a total failure is trying to stretch on my yoga mat after my workout: she was MUCH too interested in my face for me to carry on!)
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I knew the universe would provide a cat! Any cat sleeping in that last position is a cat feeling safe and at home. In my experience, they do adapt to your routines, at least to the extent that they don’t disturb you at night even if they are awake. I hope that happens quickly. When I’m doing yoga, I ask my cat if she wants to be my Benjy (Adriene Mishler of Yoga with Adriene’s dog, who often appears in her videos). I had one who especially enjoyed pretzeling herself on the mat. A lot of pet care stuff is like baby wipe warmers—we survived centuries without them and can do just fine without them now. I wish you and Fred much happiness in each other.
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What a beauty! We’ve had cats for the whole 40 years we’ve been together even though I’m wildly allergic to them – after a while my system seems to get used to them although I still react to other people’s cats when I visit.
The secret with cats is to treat them like dogs (not that I walk mine but I know people who do) and then they can be very responsive.
Dolly and I send best wishes to you both:))
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