Since I posted about the puppy, I can't not post about the kitty :)

Socks (terribly original name, huh?) is a second-hand kitty from Hooterville Safehaus, one of the local pet shelters.

We were, or maybe I should say *I* was, feeling rather kitty deprived. When you grow up with cats around, you get to missing not having them around. We tried a foster kitty for a few months, but she was just too active to be really happy in our apartment. Our former apartment was a "hole", making getting a second cat out of the question for us space-wise. After trying everything we could think of, we decided it would be best for all involved if we rehomed her.

During our kitty hunting, we looked for one that was much more mellow. One that would be content to be apartment-bound and that could be trusted not destroy our possessions. I'm fully aware that a bored animal is a destructive animal, but simply locking the foster kitty in the bedroom was not an option. She was miserable.. What we needed was an independent kitty, and she simply was not that.

Our searching took us to Hooterville. I had my eye out for a cat with the coloring that I just love. I'm really not all that picky, but if you can find the temperament that you need & the coloring you like, why not?! :) I don't know if any of your are familiar with the cat they used in the Honda commercials way, way back? The dark tabby, with very distinct stripes.. Well, that's the coloring I love.

We happened across Socks at the shelter. While he's not exactly what I described above, it was love at first sight. We opened his cage door & he practically tried to climb down my shirt, he wanted out that badly. His motor was loud, he was affectionate & pretty mellow from what we could see, without being terribly old. He was a stray that someone had brought in because allergies prevented her from keeping him outright.

We promptly filled out an application & headed home with him that afternoon. Our only stop was at the pet store where we purchased a few things that we did not already have (like a cat bed, which the shelter said was a "must have" for him).

The shelter hands out "free vet visit" vouchers when they adopt out their charges. We, of course, took them up on that. I'm always looking for the *perfect* vet, and had shopped around quite a bit for a new one, never finding one that was quite up to par. We struck gold on our first visit. They were even in the process of hiring on a ferret vet (one that we adore & use today). How do you tell a cat thanks for a find like that? LOL!

So anyway, Socks is our "tanky" (fat), talkative furball. He lounges about the apartment, sitting up high so as to lord over all. I've never seen that cat look uncomfortable - the way he sprawls out on the couch is enough to make me want to come back as a cat!

He lets us know the second that his food bowl is getting down to the "crumbs", which is not acceptable to his highness. We've tried putting him on a diet, but he talks so much at us that we often give in before the diet has a chance to work.

He's not real fond of the ferrets, but will tolerate them in small doses. When he starts getting ready to bop them, we send the ferrets hopping down the hallway. The ferrets don't find him all that interesting, so they're happy to go bounding away.

The dog he tolerates even less. The night we brought him home, he growled so hard he was literally vibrating. He's fine now, one week later. He hisses at Shrek and bats at him (w/o claws) when he's tired of the dog's antics. But for the most part, however, they co-exist peacefully.

I'll post some pictures when I have a chance.. I can't believe I don't have some up here already. Yeesh!