After Shadow crossed the Rainbow Bridge I made a decision that there would be no more animals - that those I had would live out their lives but not be replaced as they left me. I made the decision on the basis that I am 62 and that any young animal I acquired might well outlive my ability to care for it (given my cats reach 20 and my dogs seem to last longer than is the common lot of beasts).
But then Esther left me too and the gap in the household was too big.
Yesterday the Hobart Cat Centre's Facebook page tempted me with a handsome lad who was their 'reception cat', living in the reception area and greeting incomers, waving goodbye to his fellow-prisoners but never finding his forever home as he is homely and 11 years old. Smidgen is 10, so suddenly I thought - I could do that!
I headed down there this morning and met him. He is a very ordinary tabby, thin and seemed less than interested in people, though willing to be held and stroked. Completely detached and resigned.
So home he came with me.
He took up residence in the bathroom while I took Seb for a walk, ate the food left for him and settled down on the fleece-drying rack on top of the bath (I had made a cave under it for him, but apparently that is of no interest). After Seb's walk, he was confined to the front of the house while Smidgen and I went into the bathroom. Smidgen wandered around for some time before he realised he had company, then stood at the far end of the bathroom saying very rude things about Billy's ancestry. Billy pretended to be asleep. Smidgen stalked off and has gone to bed with the dog in a sulk.
From time to time i go into the rear portion of the house, and potter in the kitchen while Billy keeps me company. He is very good at weaving around legs when food is in the offing. I suspect he has quite a personality hidden in there. Between his weight and his passivity I suspect also that he has been depressed by his experience in the cats home, and is going to take a while to get back to his normal self.
One he and Smidgen actually get together so they can sort out a relationship, I will introduce him to Seb. Until the two cats are happy in each others' company I suspect the hissing fits might cause Seb to get overexcited. At present he has a vague feeling 'something is going on' but seems to be attributing this to the sheep dog trials happening over the back fence.
