Alice

Remember when I said that I had a list of goals and things to do while Bryan was deployed? Well, Item #1 on that list was to get a kitty for Elijah and I. The kitty needed to be an adult but not too old, already litter-box trained, very friendly, and good with babies. (A tall order, I know!)

Yesterday our local shelter was closed, so we went out and just got some supplies. Food, litter, brush, toys, treats, all that good stuff. It was a lot of fun and did a good job of taking my mind off of things. I was getting excited, especially when I saw how happy Elijah was when we saw the kitties at the PetSmart. He loves all things furry!

Today I decided on a game plan. We have a local "Palms and Paws" animal shelter and there is also the Morongo Basin Humane Society a little further off. If we didn't find what we were looking for at P&P I would go further away to try our luck there. I was a little pessimistic on finding exactly what I wanted. After all, if a cat is really friendly, good with babies, litter trained, and not old or sick why would anyone give it up?

We got to the shelter right when they opened at noon and they were already pretty busy. I asked if we could see the cats and the kind-looking lady at the desk directed us to a back room. We opened a door to find a room with a bunch of cats, a cat tree, a litter-box and some food and water. The cats were free to just roam about as they pleased and most of them were reclining on the tree or cowering in corners, but one cat, a fluffy white one with golden eyes, came right up to us. She sniffed my leg and then went to Elijah and sniffed him She meowed and purred and begged to be petted. She even continued purring when Elijah grabbed a fistful of her fur. (He didn't really pull on it, but most cats would have been rather indignant about such treatment.)

We stayed in the room for a few minutes and I greeted some of the other cats there. Most were friendly and enjoyed being petted and talked to. Those that weren't just ignored me and weren't aggressive at all. But the white cat was by far the friendliest there and I just had a feeling about her. She was perfect!

We went back to the desk and after about half an hour all the paperwork was signed and the kitty, named Alice, was on her way home with us!

When we got home one of the first things I did was trim her nails and apply Soft Claws. I wasn't afraid of her scratching me or the baby, but the lovey-dovey kneading thing that cats do isn't healthy for furniture and bedding. She tolerated the nail clipping like an angel and even though she struggled a little she purred the whole time. I can't believe what a sweetie she is!

So, without further adieu, here are some pictures!