Wednesday, June 30, 2010

New Roomie Tonight!!

WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Foster meowmy brought her pillow and book into MY (well, "our") room and said she was sleeping with me and Howdy tonight.

There's some sort of weather system that's making her ears hurt and since she wears earplugs to block daddy's snoring, she needs to bunk with us so she doesn't have to wear the pluggie things.

I just hope the bunking arrangements will be OK. She's never slept in there with me and Howdy at night, and she did say she's worried because Howdy and I want to sleep in the same spot. She said if we didn't behave one of us would sleep in the bathroom.

I'm going to be on my BESTEST behavior so it's not me. I'd tell Howdy, but she's still not my BFF, so she's going to have to hear it on her own.

I'll let you all know how it goes in the morning.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Uneventful Night

Ollie is taking a break from the keyboard this morning to let me post a quick update.

Looks like everything went well last night between the new roomies. No screeching. No complaining. No sounds of fighting. Everything was quiet.

When I got up this morning, I could hear Ollie on the other side of the front bedroom door, clamoring for breakfast. That's a normal occurrence, though this morning, it did seem a bit more strident. He had to go without having food down after 10:30 last night because any food in a dish attracts a Howdy like iron filings to a magnet. So he was a very hungry boy.

All signs this morning from Howdy point to a good night last night, so unless there's a change in their behavior today, they'll sleep together in the front room again tonight. This is good because I know Howdy is VERY tired of having to sleep in the adjoining bathroom.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

A book isn't worth reading...

if a cat won't sit on it. :)






!!! Roomie Tonight !!!

Foster meowmy said that since Howdy and I are getting along so well, Howdy can room with ME tonight!!

***BOUNCE***

I told meowmy that I would be EXTRA SPECIAL NICE to Howdy so she'll like rooming with me.

(Meowmy told me she just wanted me to ignore Howdy, but I don't think she means it. Meowny's note: Yes. I do mean it.)

Howdy has been getting closer and closer to me. She still gets hissy-spitty sometimes, but it's not often. She doesn't really get all fluffy anymore when I walk by...well, her tail does a little, but not all the time.

So I think we're gonna be FRIENDS!!!! I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited. I've been hoping and hoping and hoping that would happen.

I just have to remember to be a gentleman and not be PUSHY no matter how bad I want to be good friends.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New spot...

Foster meomy put a towel in her inbox thingie in her closet. It's VERY comfortable in here. :)

Howdy thought maybe it was her spot, but I informed her it was MINE!!! She got all huffy, but I don't care.


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Integration Update

Ollie is up for the night, so it's my turn at the blog. Besides, I'm a bit better at describing what's going on than he is, so here we are. :)

Things are progressing as far as Ollie and Howdy are concerned. They can both be up on the bed within a foot or so of each other, and generally Howdy is fine with that. Occasionally she complains, but Randall and I are both making sure that if she sees us petting Ollie that she gets her turn.

Howdy still gets bitchy and stakes her claim to territory, and she'll come after Ollie if she thinks she can get away with it. However, while there's the usual hissing, spitting and batting going on, none of it seems particularly serious. Since that's the case, unless the situation warrants, Randall and I are trying to let them work out their differences.

Ollie is still a gentleman, and you can tell he really wants to avoid a confrontation, but Howdy has backed him up against the wall a couple of times, and he's let her know that's not where he wants to be. He doesn't go to extremes, but he makes it clear. This is good, IMO, because Howdy can be a pushy and aggressive cat when she wants to be. Having some boundaries set by Ollie isn't going to hurt matters.

Tonight while we were having dinner, I went ahead and left the two of them out together in the guestroom. We didn't hear a word, but when Randall went to open the door, he said Howdy decided to make her Top Cat position clear. Like he told her, no one is questioning that, so she might as well stop being a bitch about it. LOL

I had hoped things would have progressed beyond this, but considering Howdy's personality, I probably shouldn't be surprised. However, if things continue to go as they have been, I may try letting them sleep in the same room sometime this weekend. If it looks like they're taking a step or two back, I'll postpone that. I don't absolutely have to have them sleeping in the same room until mid-July when we have company coming in, but I would like to move this along some if I can.

I'm pretty sure I'll be giving up the keyboard to Ollie tomorrow or the next day, and I might be able to get some new photos of him. We'll just have to see.

Friday, June 18, 2010

I can't be any cooler...

Really I can't. This is the first time I've been on the same bed with foster meowmy's heart cat, and I don't think I could look any less threatening. I know I'm big and black, but maybe if I lay REALLY still, Howdy will decide I'm OK.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

The Dance :)

I knew they were getting closer to an understanding. For most of the morning, Howdy has been flopping on the floor and looking up at Ollie...if she had long eyelashes, she'd be batting them. And Ollie has been glancing her way and then tearing down the hall, or giving her long looks from afar.

I told Randall this morning that Howdy's "come hither" looks were going to end in a way Ollie hadn't quite expected.

I was right.

This first picture is with Howdy by the bedroom door and Ollie doing the Laser Light Show on the other side of the gate down the hall. This was just moments before he vaulted the gate and came pelting down the hall towards the bedroom.


And this was the welcome he got.


So for all of Howdy's flirting, she's not quite ready to be his girlfriend. LOL

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I'm getting....

...ccccccccclllllllooooossssssseeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr....

Foster meowmy's heart cat seems to be a little less hissy-spitty at me. Meowmy keeps telling me not to push this, and I'm trying SO hard not to.

But I want to be friends. I keep trying to explain this to Howdy, and she is letting me get within a few feet of her, but I can't look at her too much or she gets all fluffy.

Really. I wonder how long this will take???????????

Foster meowmy says I'm doing really well and she's happy with how Howdy and I are getting along, but I want to get along FASTER! **sigh** Right now, all I can do is run up and down the hall really fast. If I go fast, Howdy doesn't have time to get fluffy. She just watches. Maybe some day we can BOTH run up and down the hall really fast together!

Meowmy also told me she's going to try to take a picture of me and Howdy. I don't know how that will work since we can't sit right next to each other, but I don't know how to take photos, so maybe I'm missing something.

Maybe tomorrow Howdy and I will be friends. I hope so. I want to be her friend SOON!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Ollie integration update

Since Ollie is currently busy having a stare down with Howdy, I've got the keyboard. :)

He is doing well. There are still the occasional sneezes, but these seem to be caused by something external...like when he's grooming or involved playing or has up close and personal contact with the catnip sock. He may not sneeze all day, or he may sneeze once or twice when he's doing something. So, I'm not worrying about that. There's no eye drainage, either.

My only real concern is he's regurgitating food. I know why. He's a cat who is used to eating like a cat...a nibble here...a nibble there. Because Howdy inhales all her food (and anyone elses), I've been trying to move him over to a schedule approaching hers. I knew it would take longer than two weeks, but apparently I'm going to fast because for the last two days, he's regurgitated food after almost every feeding. Not all of it, but enough to where I'm going to try another approach.

He's been eating out of a stainless bowl for the last two weeks, but since he's started having problems, I've moved him over to a pie tin to see if having it spread out some will help. He's kept two feedings down, but two isn't a great sample size, so if this doesn't work, I'll move back to the stainless bowl but put ping pong balls in it to slow him down. I'm just going to have to experiment here.

Ollie has also had the last few days to explore the house. He's pretty much out and about for an hour or so in the morning, then in the afternoon and then in the evening. I've been keeping him separate from Howdy, but there have been a couple of inadvertent bumps when they'd come around a door and run into each other.

Predictably, Howdy is hissing and spitting and just generally being a pill. Today, though, there's been quite a bit of time spent only a few feet from each other, and as long as I'm there to distract her, things are pretty calm.

For the last 15 minutes or so, Ollie has been up behind me on the bed, and Howdy has been staring at him from the living room door. A couple of minutes ago, she moved into the bedroom to get a closer look, and Ollie is doing his best to not make much eye contact. He chatters every now and then, but he's pretty much laid in one place and just pretended to be cool. I know it's just eating him up, though, because he really wants to be friends.

I'm not seeing anything here that makes me think Howdy won't give in and be friendly. She's pretty much acting the way she did when I first brought her into the house, and after several days, she was fine with Savoy and they ended up being good friends. I don't expect anything really different. She just has to get the bitchiness out of her system.

Ollie is also doing pretty well with the dogs. Mainly he ignores them, which is pretty much the best way of dealing with them. They acknowledge he's here, and Skeeter as tried a couple of times to chase him (his way of playing), but Ollie isn't ready for that and he lets him know. Provided it's normal activity, though, everyone seems good on that front.

I suspect tomorrow Ollie will be back to the keyboard to talk about his impressions of Howdy (hopefully he won't be TOO candid *g*).

Sunday, June 13, 2010

I don't think she likes me. :(

I've been out TWICE now and gotten to see meowmy's heart cat, Howdy. As much as I want to be friendly and say hello to her, she doesn't seem to want any part of that. She hisses and spits and gets all fluffy.

Meomy says that's normal and these things take time, but I WANT TO BE HER FRIEND!!! **sigh** I guess I'm going to have to be patient, but it's really, really hard.

I know meowmy is hoping to let me out with Howdy two or three more times today. I'm hoping ONE of those times she'll be nice. I promised I'd be good. Maybe she'll decide I'm OK soon.

I sure hope so.

Friday, June 11, 2010

9 Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat

9 Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat

1. You can always find them in the snow.
2. Black goes with everything.
3. Holding a black cat is very slimming.
4. Black cats look like little panthers.
5. No one will notice the black hair on your black pants.
6. They don't care about the color of your hair.
7. Black cats don't show dirt.
8. B.L.A.C.K. = Beautiful Loving Adorable Cats and Kittens
9. They are the least likely to be adopted.

From "Paws in Print" newsletter of The Coastal Humane Society Brunswick, ME

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month

The Waco Humane Society has 10% off the adoption fee for its cats (excluding Lonely Hearts).

Please...consider adoption.

http://tinyurl.com/22ma7h8

A WHOLE 'nother world!!

Foster meowmy let me into HER room today. OHMIGOD....it smelled INCREDIBLE. Dogs and cats and bunnies (dusty ones) and meomy and dad...I was so excited. I talked and talked and talked to let them know just HOW much I enjoyed this.

I tried to be cool....



But there was SO much to see and smell. Just the littlest noise and I was ready to check it out!


This was one of the coolest places...yeah, not my best side, but still, I spent a lot of time checking this out...


What's this? I never did figure it out.


And this? It's VERY bright. And it's on meomy's desk.


And behind her desk was THIS. I was told I couldn't go out there, but I got in a really good look. I was up there for a long, long time.



I finally did sit still for a minute and meowmy got this picture. I have to say, I am a good looking devil.


I also got to see the living room for just a minute before meowmy picked me up and took me back to my room. She said "tomorrow is another day"...but all I can figure that means is I HAVE TO WAIT.

Bummer.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Shhhhhhhhhhhh....don't jinx it

Be very quiet about this....if things hold with Ollie's sneezing, he may well get to explore the master bedroom some tomorrow.

I know he'll be very happy to have his horizons expanded, and I will try to get a few pictures. If tomorrow doesn't work out for some reason, we'll keep our fingers crossed for Saturday.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Limited Recall of IAMS Canned Cat Food

http://www.petproductnews.com/headlines/2010/06/09/pg-issues-limited-recall-of-iams-proactive--health-cat-food.aspx

Postponed...

Ollie's chance to escape the isolation room and come in to check out the master bedroom has been postponed because he started sneezing again this afternoon.

It's not bad, but it's enough to where I don't want him out. He's still being a pig and playful and purring his head off, so it's really mild, but still. Better safe than sorry.

I hate it because I know he was looking forward to it, but I will be more comfortable waiting for him to be completely clear of his "cold."

Meetin' and Greetin'

My meowmy is VERY happy that I didn't sneeze at all when she was in my room this morning. She said that if I don't sneeze or sniffle the rest of the day, she'll let me into HER ROOM tomorrow. I can't wait!

I actually got to meet one of the doggies yesterday. Just really quick, but this morning, I got to meet BOTH of them in my room....loose!

This one I'm cool with. He's small and brown and non-threatening. Meowmy says his name is "Skeeter" and he's the one who used to play with her other cat before Savoy left for the Bridge. Not sure I'll be up for that sort of playing, but you never know.

Anyway, here's Skeeter.


The one I'm not really sure about, though, is Haley. She's funny shaped...really long, really low and black. I'm not sure how I feel about her. She's very friendly, though. Meowmy said I have to like her too. It may take a while. She's REALLY forward. I didn't have to slap her, but I did raise my paw to let her know I was worried. I think it may take me a while to get used to her.

Here's Haley:



I know there's another doggie in the house, but I'm supposed to leave him alone because he's scared of cats. I think meowmy said "terrified" but that means the same thing. He's the foster dog and had a really hard life before he got here. I heard he was a rescue from a PUPPY MILL. Anyway, he's got lots of medical problems, but he's really being cared for good and has been here almost a year. Meowmy said he's a permanent foster, which is like a forever home. So I'll try to ignore Elvis:


But the person I REALLY want to meet is still off limits. Meowmy said that if I'm totally over my cold, I still have to wait until next week because I'm in "quarantine", but that ends next Wednesday. So I'll get to meet Howdy. She's the one I really want to impress. I've seen her from a distance, and I'm hoping we get to be buddies. I'm used to having people like me around; I just hope she likes me!

Isn't she pretty? She's a Devon Rex hybrid and meowmy's "heart cat." So I want her to like me because then I can stay here as long as I want!


I've also been told that if I do well in meowmy's room, I get to check out the living room on Friday. And that Saturday and Sunday I can spend some time exploring THE WHOLE HOUSE.

I'm gonna try really hard to be well. And do good tomorrow in the other room. I can't WAIT to get out of quarantine for good!!

I'm a member!

Meowmy put my badge on the blog yesterday (see it on the right?), but I forgot to mention it.

I am a MEMBER of the Kool Seniors Kitty Klub!

How special is THAT????!!!!

Sammy and Andy run the klub and I became a member yesterday! Those are two cool cats from San Antonio who blog at http://samandy007.blogspot.com/ .

I feel really privileged that I qualified to be a MEMBER!

Thanks Sammy and Andy (and mama/Judi)!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

I'm feeling MUCH better!

Foster Meowmy is really happy! I'm really happy!

I've barely sneezed all day. A couple of times this morning when she was in to see me early, but then nothing just now. I'm REALLY glad this is almost over!

I even felt good enough to let her cut my toenails. That's been hanging over her head, she says. And something she said had to be done before I ever met the rest of the crew. I was stretched out purring and kneading this morning, and she just reached over and snipped off my nails. Didn't hurt a bit! So that's done.

And this afternoon? Just now? I got to peek into the hall. There was another CAT! And two dogs, though I think the little one (and he's MUCH smaller than me) wasn't too happy to see my face. Meowmy says I can't really meet the other cat until next week, but I'm gonna get to meet the dogs...I've never had dogs before. I got to see a couple at the shelter, but I've never had one of my very own.

I've been told I have to be extra special nice to the little dog because he's TERRIFIED of cats. Imagine that? Scared of me????? But he is. The other two? Well, I'm not sure about them, but I was told they've always been around cats so they're REALLY friendly. Meowmy said that one of them really loved to play with the cat who lived here before. And they played and played and played. I'm not sure about that, but we'll see how it goes.

I think I'm gonna go lay down awhile. I've found a really good place under the bed. It's PURRFECT...nice and dark and there are no monsters under there either...I checked!

WHS Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Event - 6/24, 5-9 pm

What: Books-A-Million Adoption Event and Fundraiser

Where: Books-A-Million
Central Texas Marketplace
Waco, TX 76711

When:
Jun 24, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Description:
To promote Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat month we are having a cat adoption event. In addition if you bring a flier 10% of your purchases will go to the Waco Humane Society. Tell all of your friends!

Feeling better...

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Ollie seems to be feeling better this morning.

When I went in to see him earlier (and feed him), he only sneezed once or twice and his appetite was pretty voracious. I had thought the cold hadn't put him off his feed, but apparently it had dulled it some. He polished off his breakfast and was looking for more.

His catnip sock seemed more attractive this morning, too, so I'm feeling pretty good about the direction he's going.

I'm hoping he'll feel up to posting a quick hello here this afternoon. :)

Monday, June 7, 2010

Ollie Update

Since Ollie is feeling a bit under the weather, I'm doing the update. :)

He's still sneezing and sniffling and has a bit of eye drainage. The sneezing/sniffling is a bit worse than yesterday and the eye drainage seems a bit better, but that's really all I'm seeing. He's still very playful, very loving and has a good appetite.

However, since I know this "cold" can be transmitted to other cats and since I've never really had any experience with this sort of thing, I called both the shelter (to give them a heads up that it was going on), and talked to Melody at the clinic to be sure I knew what to watch out for.

Basically, we're just going to keep a close eye on him and make sure it doesn't progress further. If he's not improved by Wednesday, Melody told me to call the shelter and get approval to come out and see Dr. Walthall. Obviously if he stops eating or the symptoms get worse, things become more urgent. At that point, he'll probably need to go on antibiotics.

And for now, the quarantine is definitely in force. This sort of thing is very contagious and, like Ollie said last night, I've been rather expecting it. Stress does play a part, and he did have that last Tuesday when he was crated to come home with us, so that can be a trigger.

Also, once he stops the sneezing/sniffling, the chance for transmission goes WAY down. I'll want to see him completely clear of any symptoms for at least 24 (and more likely 48) hours. Since he wasn't due out of quarantine until next Wednesday, I suspect that won't be much of a problem.

I'll update this as needed.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

AaaaCHoooooooooo....

***sniff***

Foster meowmy said she's been expecting this, so she's not surprised.

But I'd have liked it better if I'd stayed well.

Meomy said she'll call Fallon tomorrow to let her know I'm sniffing and sneezing some, and that I've got goopy stuff draining from my eye.

It's not interfering with my APPETITE, but I'd rather not having a URI. Meowmy said she'll keep an eye on me and take me to the V-E-T if I get worse.

(Maybe this is why my catnip sock hasn't smelled so good today.)

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Olli settles in...

At least he's out from under the bed, but I thought it might be too much to ask him to blog. :)

I spent a couple of hours in there this afternoon. Laid down to read and nap, and Ollie joined me immediately. While his nails are still a danger, he's apparently learning to knead more with the bottoms of his feet than with his nails. He's not catching on the sheet nearly as much...nor is he impaling my arm as much as he did earlier in the week.

To give you an idea of what his kneading is like, I've seen it referred to in other cats as "making biscuits"; lets just say what Ollie does is more akin to a Kitchen Aid standmixer with a dough hook attached. He is just that vigorous.

I will say he also is apparently settling down some. He still was purring up a storm and head butting, but after an initial attempt to get as close as he possibly could to me, he sort of curled up a bit away from me. Putting my arm or hand out still got him laying his head on it and purring like mad, but he didn't seem to be afraid that I'd disappear in a puff of smoke.

The hope is that early to mid next week I can at least tip his nails. I've got to get that much done before he comes out (though that won't be until a week from Tuesday that he begins to get transitioned into the rest of the household), but at least if I can tip them first, they won't be quite so likely to rip me to shreds if he protests a closer clipping.

Insert standard stuff here...he's eating well, though tomorrow I'll start transitioning him over to eating on Howdy's schedule, maintaining good weight and his coat looks great...no shedding or flaking. No litterbox issues, and he's very personable with both me and Randall. He's getting a light brushing in the morning since he likes it and it helps him bond to me. He's also enjoying a catnip sock, string thing and most on a string. He's definitely more playful than I would have expected considering his profile listed him as "couch potato."

I will say I Howdy is getting quite insecure, so tomorrow I plan on spending quite a bit of time with her. She's had to sleep in the bathroom while Ollie is in the bedroom, and that's where she's used to sleeping, so she really feels abused. Tomorrow I'll spend some time reassuring her that she's still loved and really number one.

With any luck, Ollie will do a bit of blogging Monday or Tuesday. I'm still not sure how much of the updating here will be him or me. We'll just have to see how he does.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Transport for rescue animals

Since Ollie has decided that the vacuum cleaner is STILL a threat and has decided to move in under the bed in the front room, I'm posting this on his behalf.

The mailing list for Planet Devon recently had to utilize this group to help transport some Devons out of a horrible situation in Alabama.

I've added a link to the Places To Go sidebar, but it bears repeating

Pilots N Paws http://pilotsnpaws.org/about/

This site is intended to be a meeting place for those who rescue, shelter or foster animals, and pilots and plane owners willing to assist with the transportation of animals. It is not the intent of Pilots N Paws to coordinate or arrange those providing these valuable services, but to provide the environment in which those involved can come together in a common place and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter and all other related activities.

Do. Not. Like.



Pretty pictures

I've got a new place for my pictures. It's over on Photobucket, and my meowmy has a link on the right hand side of my blog. It says "My Photos" and that's where you'll find the latest photos of ME!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

dkdi dkhjkaf diojh skd


Translation:

This is harder than I thought....

Home

Ollie wasn't a particularly happy boy on the ride home. Matter of fact, if I'd had any doubts about his lineage, his voice would have settled them. He DEFINITELY has the voice of a Siamese-type cat. And he believes in exercising it when unhappy.

However, once he got home and the crate was put in the room I'd set aside for his 2 week quarantine, he got very quiet. Randall had carried him in and he said as soon as the crate was set down, Ollie was looking around with his ears pricked and obviously intrigued with his new lodgings.

No shy, retiring violet here.

Coming out of the crate, Ollie was all
aquiver. Ears up. Nose twitching. Tail...well, visualize what a skunk looks like right before spraying, and you'll get the idea. For a few minutes, I was afraid that's what he was going to do, but it became clear that was just how he holds his tail when he's excited.

And the purring.
OHMIGOD...talk about a boat motor. And people oriented? Oh yes. VERY happy to be with people and not caged. The head butting. The kneading. The purring. The meowing. This was one VERY excited little man. No question his personality wasn't on display at the shelter, but it sure was now. I can only imagine how hard the change in environment had been for him.

He's been here going on two days now, and while he's not happy being in quarantine, it's very obvious he's going to integrate well here. He's heard the dogs sniffing under the door and there's been no growling or hissing...just stable
curiosity. This is good because he has never been around dogs.

Ditto the response when he hears Howdy. I suspect there will be no problems there (at least on his end) since he lived with other cats before being taken to the shelter.

Right now my only real goal besides making sure he knows he is loved is figuring out just how in the hell to clip his nails. When I say they're talons, I'm not joking. It has been very hard to pet him much or play with him because he is constantly kneading and those nails are dangerous. I've attempted a couple of times to clip them, but this was something he apparently never had done and he's dangerous.

I'll give him a few days and then see what I can do about them. I can't even fiddle with his feet to try to get him used to having them handled because he's so excited he can't stop kneading.

I also want to get some pictures taken/posted and the blog set up...Blogger is acting up as I type this, so it may be tomorrow before it's laid out right and I give Ollie a chance to blog. :)

A New Blog and New Beginning

I'm not sure what direction this blog is going to go, since it's run by Ollie, the new foster at our house.

I don't know if Ollie will update it or I will, but if the "voice" changes, you'll know why. But first some background....

As many of you know, Randall and I have a permanent foster dog in our home in Elvis, the little SchipperChi senior boy who was rescued by the Waco Humane Society after a puppy mill raid n Elm Mott, Texas in May 2009.

In July 2009, Elvis became a part of our household as a foster and in October, he became a permanent foster with us. Elvis has many, many medical issues (along with some personality problems) that precluded him being adopted into a forever home. So instead of pushing him off on someone, the Humane Society offered him to us as a permanent foster and we happily agreed. So he has a home here where he's loved and cared for however long he needs it. So, in truth, it's his forever home...he just came to it in a round about way.

In mid-March of this year, we lost our beloved tabby boy, Savoy, to kidney failure. We had thought it was a simple infection and he was on antibiotics within short order, but there were obviously underlying issues, and he went in to total renal failure and had to be euthanized. It was very unexpected and very hard because he was only 6 years old.

Shortly after that, I had to leave Waco to go to Dallas for several weeks, so we knew that any cat we brought in would have to wait until my return. That got delayed, and I didn't come back in town until the end of May. Taking a week to recover (and make amends to our current feline resident, Howdy, the Devon Rex hybrid), I then begin seriously looking into fostering another cat.

Randall and I had decided a month or so ago that fostering was the way we wanted to go at least initially, and I contacted Fallon, the Waco Humane Society's foster director, and made an appointment to go out to the shelter on June 1, to look at possible foster candidates and then bring one home if there was a fit.

I had some requirements that I was hoping to fulfill. I knew I wanted an older cat (3+ years of age), probably a male and a cat whose personality leaned more to the Savoy side of things than to the Howdy side. Savoy was a laid back cat who was still playful and very loving, but not pushy. Howdy is true to her Devon breeding and is a higher maintenance, demanding cat (truly my cup of tea, but marital bliss means making some compromises, and Randall really liked Savoy's personality).

I knew that the temperament thing was going to be hard to test for because shelter environments are so stressful that cats are not at their best. But I at least wanted to try. I had tentatively looked at Snowshoes and Siamese as possible fits, but knew that until I got out to the shelter, I wouldn't really know what was available.

Meeting Fallon in the office, we went out to the "cat room" to take a look at available cats. My first stop was at the cage of a lovely lynx pointed Siamese boy. He was VERY appealing, but Fallon said he was a handful. He was also younger than what I was hoping for, but I knew if it had just been me making the choice, he probably would have fit the bill.

Or maybe not. Because I turned to my left and saw a large, multi-cat cage with three or four cats lounging in it. On a perch closest to the bars was a gorgeous, solid black cat. He laid there looking as if he was a black panther surveying his kingdom. Oh my was he pretty. On closer inspection, not only was he a big black boy, but he obviously had Oriental Shorthair close up in his pedigree.

Wiggling my fingers through the bar got me a tilted head and invitation to pet, but he wasn't going to stir unless there was a better reason. Still, he was very compelling and a look at his card showed he was an older boy and was an owner surrender (along with his cage mates) when s/he moved and couldn't take them with her. At 9 years, he was a bit older than I'd thought about, but still a really good candidate.

I wasn't ready to commit, though. There were - unfortunately - a lot of cats there to see. All colors and flavors and I did want to get a good feel for what was available. Sorting through the candidates, it seemed most were younger than I was looking for. The vast majority were 1-2 years old and though most looked adoptable, I just wasn't sold on any as a foster. That lynx point Siamese boy, though, kept calling to me.

Bringing Randall in to look at the narrowed list, and he immediately gravitated to the black OSH boy. So I had Fallon pull him out so I could see him better. The closer up I got, the prettier he looked, and it was obvious by the way he felt in my arms that he was a cat that had been very much loved and cared for...he just wasn't going to get himself worked up and his hopes up until things were settled.

And they were. The black OSH boy was the one. He would be our foster cat.

More in the next post as Ollie makes the transition from Shelter Cat to Foster Cat...