Personal
Lorelei...
03/19/15 01:48 PM
Wasn't expecting to come home with a kitten or to get a new cat at all so soon after losing Yasmine. She was a tortoise shell cat that I had for almost 17 years. I loved that cat, she was with me as I moved from state to state, with me as I moved from apartment to apartment and she was big. She was over 20 pounds and at one point 24 pounds, but she was not fat, just a big solid cat, or "sturdy" as my cousin Tony once told me. I knew that I probably wanted to get another Tortoise Shell cat but thought I would take some time and wait until the summer.
So much for that idea! I was up to Indiana, PA having lunch with a friend and stopped by the local Walmart before hitting the road to come back to Pittsburgh. Noticed a pet store right next door and bopped in for a look around. An elderly woman was cleaning some cages and we got to talking and she said I should visit the new Humane Society out near the Jimmy Stewart Airport. For those that don't know, the actor Jimmy Stewart grew up in Indiana, PA, his folks had a hardware store, but I digress…
Anyway, I thought what the hell, would be nice to see the new facility, the old one used to be on the outskirts of IUP, the college campus. So, I go there and check it out. I tour the place and then come across this one kitten who comes up to the glass and then proceeds to sneeze all over it. Snot everywhere. She was a small thing, maybe 3 pounds and she was a tortoise shell.
I am asked if I want to take her into the playroom, and I say sure. Then this kitten proceeds to sneeze on my glasses. Snot everywhere. I always have lens wipes on me so I clean my glasses and then play with her for about 10 minutes.
I knew I could provide a great home for this kitten and I knew that she just needed somebody to take a chance on her. Seems there were two other Tortoise shell kittens and she was probably passed over because she did look sickly and was sneezing. I got her home and subsequent trips to the vet got her coughing and sneezing fixed.
Named her Lorelei, a name for a water nymph, which is fitting because she loves to play with water. Can't just have a bowl of water because she will tip it over every time. No, I had to get a Pet Fountain because she likes to drink from a stream of water. I have to put lids on cups and glasses because she will dunk her paws in them. When I do dishes at the kitchen sink she is there playing with the stream of water. Just fearless with water.
Also a bit of a Magpie, likes to steal things and hide them. My toothbrush went missing and I thought to myself did you throw it out? Dish sponge goes missing. A Shell gas gift card. A crumpled up movie ticket stub. A kneaded eraser. Not very valuable items, well the Shell gift card was, but she hordes them and has these stashes that I eventually find. Just a great personality and a wonderful cat.
So much for that idea! I was up to Indiana, PA having lunch with a friend and stopped by the local Walmart before hitting the road to come back to Pittsburgh. Noticed a pet store right next door and bopped in for a look around. An elderly woman was cleaning some cages and we got to talking and she said I should visit the new Humane Society out near the Jimmy Stewart Airport. For those that don't know, the actor Jimmy Stewart grew up in Indiana, PA, his folks had a hardware store, but I digress…
Anyway, I thought what the hell, would be nice to see the new facility, the old one used to be on the outskirts of IUP, the college campus. So, I go there and check it out. I tour the place and then come across this one kitten who comes up to the glass and then proceeds to sneeze all over it. Snot everywhere. She was a small thing, maybe 3 pounds and she was a tortoise shell.
I am asked if I want to take her into the playroom, and I say sure. Then this kitten proceeds to sneeze on my glasses. Snot everywhere. I always have lens wipes on me so I clean my glasses and then play with her for about 10 minutes.
Then the next 4 hours I am filling out an application, the Indiana County Humane Society is calling my references, my landlord, doing a check of my previous vets. They were very thorough and you would think I was adopting a child, a human being not a kitten.
I knew I could provide a great home for this kitten and I knew that she just needed somebody to take a chance on her. Seems there were two other Tortoise shell kittens and she was probably passed over because she did look sickly and was sneezing. I got her home and subsequent trips to the vet got her coughing and sneezing fixed.
Named her Lorelei, a name for a water nymph, which is fitting because she loves to play with water. Can't just have a bowl of water because she will tip it over every time. No, I had to get a Pet Fountain because she likes to drink from a stream of water. I have to put lids on cups and glasses because she will dunk her paws in them. When I do dishes at the kitchen sink she is there playing with the stream of water. Just fearless with water.
Also a bit of a Magpie, likes to steal things and hide them. My toothbrush went missing and I thought to myself did you throw it out? Dish sponge goes missing. A Shell gas gift card. A crumpled up movie ticket stub. A kneaded eraser. Not very valuable items, well the Shell gift card was, but she hordes them and has these stashes that I eventually find. Just a great personality and a wonderful cat.