we adopted a kitten. tim and i came to the humane society, and after much deliberations picked a cat that fit our “numbers”: 1-4 years old, tabby grey/red, neutered/sprayed. Lawrence fit the numbers – when we tried to talk to him, he wouldn’t respond, and he just lay there, quiet, matted fur, unremarkable.
this was saturday, 7pm, when we arrived home, and took him out of the carton carrier that the society gives you. he was timid, timid to the extreme, and (in hindsight, foolishly), took him out ourselves. after a few timid steps across the floor, he found a nook next to the green chair, and lay there for a while.
(green chair on the right)
we did some research, showed him his litterbox, and straight away he timidly hid next to the shoe rack.
there he was until the end of the evening, when we took him on the couch with us to watch tv. every time we touched him from any point of the crate till now, he purrs, RUMBLE PURRS, non stop. so was that first evening on the couch – and suddenly, amidst the petting and the purring, he started stretching, and becoming more and more cute. as in, his fur became cleaner, his face became happier, brighter, and suddenly, he was adorable, adorable to a degree neither one of us saw before.
sunday morning, he was hiding under the couch. we let him be there for the entire day, and in the evening he came out and explored a bit in front of our eyes. for the first time he used the litter box with us there (he did before when we slept). he is cute, adorable, soft, fluffly, and incredibly pretty.
and he is the first cat ever that i am inlove with.
first cat that purred in my arms (that first evening when i picked him up). and last night, after hiding the entire night under the couch, he reluctantly came out from underneath to get petted, hiding back at any noise (tv, shoes shuffling, blanket moving underneath me). and this morning, he came out again, and right now, i am the happiest person ever, because this cat is obviously scared, and still obviously started trusting me. i have never formed a bond like this with anyone else, human or not. and all i want to do now, is to sit in front of the couch and pet him again and again as he comes out and then goes back under when he is not comfortable anymore. BUT HE COMES OUT! and each time it is longer, further, and more comfortable.
he is playful, cute, and really is coming out of his shell, but not yet, so i’m not sticking my camera in his face yet. sorry guys :)
i assure you, whenever he DOES start feeling like this is his home, and safe place, he’ll have nowhere to go to hide from my freaking camera.
did i mention he is a purring machine? all you have to do is put your hand near him, and he starts purring, even if he isn’t coming closer to it.
and humane society is an incredible place for animals, and a terrible place for animals. it is amazing as it is ridiculous how many they save. and it is terrible, because so many of them are depressed, and don’t have the motivation to do anything anymore – like lawrence. and the others, the meow, whine, bark, peep (depending on the species) to a heartbreaking point. there were cats there that pawed at people through the cages, and if you stopped and put your hands closer would rub up, meow, purr, and … ah, my heart breaks. i wish they all could be saved. what the volunteers are doing is incredible.
