“I’m a sap for sad eyes.”
LOL... So am I. My wife, also an animal lover, trembles at the thought of me going to a shelter for fear that I will bring home everything with a heartbeat. ;>)
Actually, the only stray cat in my neighborhood at the moment is a mommy Cougar and she won’t let me call her mine.
Having found a cat that I kinda liked on the net, starting at $1500, plus shipping.. Ouch. It is most likely that I will simply adopt some poor little female. I would get a male, but I think they spray and I don’t want to deal with that if I can help it.
But I've done what I can to save some local kittens (and, as it turned out, myself) ... I have four females in the house .. five, if you count my wife [smile] ..
Mitzi .. gray, black, and white .. was abandoned by her mother on our patio. We probably surprised the mother while she was moving her litter and she dropped Mitzi (all of 4.5 ounces) at the time. We nursed her for a few weeks .. I remember the 2AM feedings .. and now, seven and a half years later, she's Queen of the house at 14.5 pounds, holding herself aloof from us mere mortals. When my late wife died, I don't know what I would have done without Mitzi. She came down from her ivory tower and spent the next few lonely months comforting me.
Gracie .. a tortoiseshell calico .. came bounding up onto the porch out of the darkneess into my new wife's arms three Thanksgivings ago. Her role is the Rebel Duchess, constantly trying to find ways to annoy Mitzi. All of 10 pounds now, she is friendly when she wants to be but can turn on you in a second.
Rhiannon .. all gray .. and Sarah-Michael .. a dirty-white Siamese with black tips on her tail, ears, and muzzle .. are the new little Princesses of the manor. Both were adopted from litters born under our patio on Flag Day of 2009. Each at right around five pounds, they're playful and always hungry for attention. Rhiannon is the lap cat, always crawling up onto your lap or shoulders and falling asleep. Sarah-Michael is a "foot" cat; she doesn't really like to be held, but adores being petted and curling up next to you.
They've all been spayed and had their front claws removed and have free run of the house and the back porch. The back porch is enclosed with wooden lattice so they get the feel of being outside without the danger of actually being outside.
Heh. Tell me about it.
It was a couple of years before I had my own home with a yard when I came back stateside, where I felt I could responsibly have a dog. During those painful years, I yearned so. LOL
Once settled, I made an appointment with a breeder to see his litter ... only one male left he said ...so I rushed over. He pulled out the “male” and as I was playing with the pup, noticed it wasn’t a male. Ahem. He put her back into the kennel and I played with the male in front of me. The female, was so upset ...she yelped a scratched at the kennel door with a fury.
After negotiating a price, on my way to the car with the male, I turned around and asked the breeder, “How much for two?”
I was suckered. She turned out to be one the finest dogs I ever owned. The male, not so much.
Take someone level-headed with you when you go. That’s my advice. ;)