It started innocuously enough. (Doesn’t it always?)
A friend had a free kitten to give away. We haven’t had cats since the two that came part and parcel with Beloved moved on to that great catnip field in the sky, maybe three and four years ago. But I know Beloved has been pining for one. And, Beloved found (gasp!) mouse poop under the cupboard earlier this week.
Free kitten + need a mouser + Father’s Day weekend? Score! Plus, Tristan has been lobbying relentlessly for a cat lately.
So I called the vet, and found out that free kittens are really not so free after all. Not unless you define “free” as $650 for in the first six months, anyway. (That’s first checkup plus vaccines, plus suggested meds, plus spay or neuter. Yikes!)
So the free kitty didn’t seem like such a great plan after all, and when I tweeted the cost of a free kitty on twitter, @deadsquid was nice enough to mention the Lanark Animal Welfare Society, where you can adopt a cat for $125 all in. And the idea of a young but not kitten-y cat seemed like a pretty good idea too. Young enough to adapt to a house with a dog and three noisy boys, old enough to not be completely insane.
Beloved, still cautious about the idea of leaping into cat ownership again after the loss of Ben and Tiny, thought about it over night, but I was pretty sure we’d be heading down to Smiths Falls within a few days at the latest. And I was right.
We met a lot of cats today; there are currently 97 (!) up for adoption in the shelter. We found ourselves drawn to the orange tabbies, and for a while debated between a female and male. It was a tough call, and I began to wonder if maybe we’d end up with two instead of one, but luckily we’re a little bit crazy but not THAT crazy. I’m not sure if the cat chose the boy or the boy chose the cat, but they both seem pretty happy with the deal.
He’s a 12 week old orange tabby. We’re still working on the name. Percy was an early contender, and I favoured Bruce. By the evening, we’d migrated to Butterscotch, shortened to Scottie, which was cute. Then I slipped and called him Buttercup, and that seems to have stuck. Prince Buttercup, or Peanut Buttercup, depending on who you ask.
It’s adorable now, and downright hilarious when you think 10 years into the future, with a handful of oversized teenage boys calling what I’m sure will be a large and happy but mature orange tabby “Buttercup”.
*snicker*
Love that image Dani – great focus on the kitty! And so glad you ended up finding the perfect one to bring home. Buttercup is adorable! 🙂
That is one seriously adorable cat.
I hope that he turns out to be a good mouser. Mice in my kitchen creep me out!
I LOVE me some tabbies! I’ve had two – one orange and one grey (the grey one is a current kitty) and they were both the best cats ever! Both boys and they were both super-sweet and patient. I hope your Buttercup is just as awesome a cat!!
Congratulations!!!! (partial to Bruce) ha ha!!
SO cute. I love cats! We had one like that living down the road and Kev named him “Marmalade”. I’d have cats if we could, but sadly I’m allergic.
Congratulations on your newest family member. He’s adorable and I love the fact that you chose to adopt him from L.A.W.S. Hope he gives you plenty of years of successful mouse trapping and I’m sure he will more than return all the love he will be getting from his new family.
Awww congratulations! Beautiful photo…kittens are like a ray of sunshine. Enjoy .:)
p.s. From one cat owner to another, take photos of your drapes…they might be a little “different” after someone tries swinging on them. 🙂
Hello! I know you don’t know me, but we’ve got something in common. I got your blog address off the Stirrup Queen’s blogroll and was wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping me help a couple who is trying to add a little one to their family. We’re holding a silent auction for them this weekend (Friday and Saturday) on goteamwitt.blogspot.com and need help getting the word out! We would love it if you would spread the word via social media or here on your blog. Additionally, we are always looking for more donations to auction off, so if you or someone you know might be interested in making a donation, all the information is under the donate tab. If you have any questions or would be willing to post a pre-written blog post about the auction and the sponsored couple, please contact Kristin at goteamwitt@gmail.com Thanks in advance for taking the time to consider this!