That Darn Cat

There is an annual summer garage sale held by the local woman's league every year in our town. Bob loves a good garage sale. He says it's where you can go buy a bunch of crap you didn't even know you needed. Cheap.

A couple of years back we went and as we were about to leave we noticed a house selling hanging baskets of flowers. (Outdoor plants are one of Bob's weaknesses.) We stopped and as we walked up we realized it was a fundraiser garage sale for Petropolis (you can learn more here). Thinking I can be funny I excitedly proclaim my hopes to get a brand new kitten that we could pet and hug and love and I we will name him George.

We saunter to the back and they are talking up this one older male orange tabby. They take him out and we get to hold him. He's very cute, but has a lot of hair. He purrs beautifully but he will require a litter box. He is so loving but he has a lot of hair. No Bob, we have two dogs already, we don't need a cat, I will not clean a litter box and he has so much hair! He just keeps snuggling and purring and acting all cute. (The cat AND Bob.)

But common sense prevails, we put him back in the cage and as we are leaving they tell us his story. Sadly he has feline aids. From a life of crime and drugs on the street. He has to be kept separate (ostracized!)from all the other cats in his foster home. He is isolated in the garage. In his tinky tiny one foot by one foot crate. Alone. While all the other little kitties get to be in the house, with loving and petting. He will be difficult to place because he cannot go to a home with other cats, feline aids can be passed to other cats. He is older. Most people adopting pets want cute little kittens. He is cute but he is not a kitten. And did I mention he is one hairy dude?

No. No. No.

We went back and forth, me saying no, Bob pointing out all the cute things about him. Me saying no and Bob pointing out the cat's sad circumstances. Me saying no and Bob saying you are right. But before we go he says we should go say goodbye and tell the cat we are sorry we cannot take him home. So we say our farewells, we give our last pets, we adore the purring. And as Bob puts him back in his cramped little crate the cat reaches out his paw and places it on Bob's nose....I said okay, I'll go get the checkbook from the car.

And I love him. And he loves me; but he has always been a pain in the neck whenever I am at the computer, which is a lot. I always laugh at his tactics to get me to stop my work (or surfing or game playing) and give him some good loving. Silently scolding myself for rewarding his bad behavior. Smiling inside knowing he has come to me because he loves my petting best.

Then tonight Bob and I came home from dinner out and after the sight I found I think that darn cat has not been interrupting my computer time for loving but to lure me away for his own selfish needs. Apparently he is using my computer and surfing the net to look for chicks!