Day 29 - Adopting a cat

[Quincy]

Hello everyone, 

I’m sure some of you know the cat in the photo above 🙂. 

My significant other and I have been thinking of adopting a pet for quite some time. We have been looking around for a while, but we weren’t sure whether to look for a dog or a cat (I’ve got love for both of them). 

Personally, I prefer an indoor cat since we live in the city. All the dogs I’ve had in the past were dogs that were used to living near big open areas such as the woods, so if I’d ever take a dog, I would prefer being near the woods instead of in a big city (so that they roam freely).

Milky (the cat in the pic)

In 2020, when everything started shutting down due to COVID, we felt we were missing something in the house. Around that time, it seemed that everyone started buying pets as the pandemic started to cause everyone to work from home, but we preferred adopting one instead. 

We suddenly found an ad on the internet about a cat that unfortunately needed to go due to personal reasons. We decided to contact the number on the listing, and the owner invited us to a video call to see whether we were a good fit and to generally show us Milky at the time. 

We fell in love with him immediately and decided to pick him up asap after the owner told us we were a good fit, and so there we went. Upon arriving at the location, the owner told us that she was having issues getting Milky into the cage (as if he knew what was about to happen).  Finally, after she was able to get Milky into his cage, the kids of the owner were very upset to see him go, and some tears were shed. 

We loaded all his belongings into the car and waved a final goodbye to what were now his previous owners. 

The drive went smooth, and we set up all his stuff at home and all was well at first, however...

Day 1: Hiding.

Day 2: We were starting to get concerned as we didn’t notice him eating any food nor using the litter box, and so I set up an old security camera. 

Day 3: Noticed he started eating and using the litter box. 

Day 4: Carefully exploring the house at night.

Day 5: Hiding during the day, but exploring at night.

Day 6: Hiding during the day, but exploring at night.

Day 7: Started coming closer to us (see image)

…. Fast-forward to present-day….

(security cam footage - yes, he is actually wondering what it is!) 

(Carefully observing us from a distance) 

Present:

I've had a cat in the past, but I forgot how great it feels having a companion again 😃. I hope he’ll be around for many years to come! 

Take good care of yourselves and your pets this festive season, and give them a few extra snacks! ✨

Quincy

[Colleen253]

@Quincy What a lovely story. Thanks for sharing it. Now, that last picture in particular! So good. That's what it's all about, right? Well done in helping Milky make the transition into your family. 😻

We adopted two street cats in August. They had become a bonded pair while in the shelter so it was a twofer! The little guy, you'd never know he hadn't had interaction with people, he is such a love bug. The other is still a bit of a shy little lady, but coming around quickly. We dream of the day she hops up onto our laps! I agree, adoption is definitely the way to go. 

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Those little scraggly ears! 

So adorable that they bonded. You can see the love 🙂

[Colleen253]

 

@Huma0 Yes, those ears. Be still my heart. 😻

Here are comparisons of what he looked liked when he was picked up by the city, vs today. Full on Tom cat, with those huge jowls. Pretty rough. Had ear mites really bad, so one ears is deformed now, was diabetic (in remission now) and has FIV. Both cats have FIV. One day, that will catch up with them, but for now, all is well.

 

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Bless you. My Merlot also had very beaten up ears. They are better now, but will always be straggly. I just think it adds to his charm and, as long as he is as happy and healthy as he can be, that's all good.

Such a sweet little face your kitty has. You can also see the change in his level of trust, just from the photos. What's his name?

[Colleen253]

@Huma0 Yes, that's what counts! But he is gorgeous anyway. Love all that fluffy black fur, and those huge eyes! 

We kept the names the shelter gave the cats, because that's who they are. Seemed wrong somehow, to re name them. His name is Gluhwein (we call him Glu) and the other is Louella. It's still a mystery how they came up with 'Gluhwein'! 

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Gluhwein is certainly an unusual name, but fits with my wine theme, so I approve!

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

I like the idea of keeping their names. My niece was given a kitty that her parents got for her from the shelter. Her name was Miu Miu, and I tried really hard to convince them to keep it, but they renamed her anyway.

My kitties all came without names as they were totally unclaimed. Merlot was originally called 'the cat who says hello' because, despite the fact that he can't meow, he did initially make a sound that sounded remarkably like he was saying hello. I now realise that was a distress call.

Eventually, once I realised he was here for good, I had to rename him because it was a bit of a mouthful, so we went with the wine theme...

[Colleen253]

@Huma0 And fine names they are!

[Quincy]

They are lovely @Colleen253! I'd love to adopt another cat!

Sadly, I had to bring Milky to the pet hospital yesterday as he suddenly developed a severe bladder issue...

Thankfully, they contacted me this morning informing that he's doing better now, but that he has to stay in the hospital for the next few days. 

[Colleen253]

Oh dear, @Quincy. Positive thoughts for a speedy recovery for dear sweet Milky! Let us know….

[Mark116]

@Quincy  Oh no!  You should ask the vet if he might need a different mix of food.  

[Quincy]

Thank you, @Colleen253! He had to stay there for a few days, but he's finally back home again since last Sunday! He had a blocked bladder, and they found some kidney stones as well (weird combo). 

He's still not fully recovered, and has to take quite a lot of meds daily for the next 2 weeks or so. There's a 40% chance that it might get blocked again after treatment (which I hope won't happen). If it happens, he would need to undergo a surgery.

[Mark116]

@Quincy  Aw!  Our cats do pretty well with the 'pill pockets' where you stick the pill inside the treat.  We mix in a bunch of regular treats, so like 2 reg, then the pill pocket, then 2 more regular, and usually they're gulping them down and don't notice the pill.  Some cats are smarter than others though.

I would definitely look into his diet and what kind of food is best to prevent bladder issues.

[Quincy]

Hi @Mark116! They did indeed recommend that I change his food. The new food just got delivered, and thankfully he's enjoying it. Fingers crossed that everything will be fine in the next few weeks 🙂.