November 2nd - That Darn Cat

We've got an addition to our zoo. The cat we took in last week has not been claimed yet, despite a large effort to find his home. So unless someone calls to claim him, he is here to stay. Or so our enormous vet bill indicates.

We're naming him Sawyer after either the character from Lost or Tom Sawyer, depending on who you prefer (I got to name him because I'm in charge like that). Sawyer is a siamese/calico mix with flamepoint coloring (his ears and tail have a concentration of orange color). He has beautiful blue eyes. Sawyer is about a year old, and will be getting fixed in a month. Snip, snip, kitty!

I've never been a fan of cats. Mark has always loved cats, but my allergies (and distaste for such snooty animals) have kept me away. Sawyer is a very sweet cat. The vet says that his breed mix makes him the perfect cat for households with dogs and kids. That's us! He's basically the golden retriever of the cat world.

The dogs have been adjusting well to a feline companion. Casey is so laid back that it doesn't phase her. Maggie is pretty high strung and is always aware of where Sawyer is and what he's doing. They have a love-hate relationship, though, because they have been seen staring each other down one minute and then sleeping together the next. Good thing the dog breed and cat breed are both friendly to other animals.

The kids love Sawyer, of course. Ethan asks for the kitty the moment he wakes up, and is very gentle with him. Abby is our resident animal lover, and has attached herself to Sawyer like they're siamese twins (haha - siamese!) She has a very hard time being gentle with him because she loves to play with him so much. She really likes to pick him up (a big no-no) and will sometimes try to grab his tail or leg to make him stay near her so she can pet him. Sawyer is extremely tolerant of her behavior, and really loves Abby despite it all. If he wasn't tolerant, there is no way that he could live here. He has passed the test.

Mark is already a cat-lover, and enjoys cuddling with the little furball. He had the fun task of taking him to the vet this week (a tag-along on Casey's appointment), and discovering all of the details about him that we were trying to figure out.

Sawyer has won me over. The biggest shock to Mark is that I actually pushed to keep him instead of finding another home (or worse yet, leaving him with an animal shelter where he might never find a home). He's so very sweet and gentle, and low maintenance. The kids love him so much. And my cat allergies have not been bad at all (apparently 6 years of living with dogs has kicked those allergies right in the butt). Mostly, I am a sucker for an animal in need.

Good thing he's also a great cat.