To Be Loved AND Appreciated

I was going to talk about how this was my last good month (I turn 40 in less than 2 weeks, but I figure Samantha Grace will lose her trademarked niceness just to kick my butt.) Therefore, today I'm going to address the other big thing that's going on in my life these days.

Griffin Stone, the 1st Marquess of Catsby
(Yes, he has a fancy name. He was already
wearing the tux.) If he kills a mouse, he'll be
upgraded to King Griffin I.

Anyone who follows me on Twitter or likes me on Facebook already knows that there is a new member of the Stone household. Griffin Stone, the 1^st Marquess of Catsby. We call him all sorts of things for short… Griff, Griffin, Lord Catsby...it kind of depends on what he’s done or what we’re trying to get him to do.

But two things we don’t have to try to get him to do is love and appreciate us. He’s pretty much done both of those things since the moment we opened our door to him. Griffin is a 4 year old boy who has lived at least the last year in a no-kill shelter.  The cage he was in was pretty big, actually; but he shared it with two other cats.  The space he has now, however is a good-sized home for him to roam, explore and (hopefully) protect from outside critters. (We all know my house has a history with squirrels and other unsavory creatures. I’m betting that’s all in the past with Griffin here now.)

I have had cats most of my life and I do still have Geri who is almost 13. Geri is the only one in the house not thrilled with Griffin. Whenever she spots him, she hisses – which is the fastest way to not make friends. Don’t believe me? Get introduced to someone and hiss… let’s see how that turns out for you.

The people at the shelter were surprised that I was interested in an adult cat. Until now, every cat I’ve ever had I got when they were kittens. But I don’t think I have the time or energy for a kitten this time around. I work outside the house 40+ hours a week and 40+ hours is a lot of time for an unwatched kitten to tear up a house. Griffin is also declawed. (And while I could never declaw a cat myself, he came that way to my house so I have no guilt.) I do know that my new couch won’t get torn to shreds while I’m at work. (Deb Marlowe and Catherine Gayle could chant "imported Italian leather" with me right now, I'm sure, as I've said it way too many times. But I really didn't want a kitten shredding "imported Italian leather".)

My son adores this cat!

Griffin has a lot of plusses. I didn’t expect him to adapt so quickly to our house. He’s taken to sleeping in my son’s room and Griffin likes to say on schedule. If it’s time for bed, he’ll start meowing until my son walks up the stairs to his room. The cat follows him the whole way and then waits for my son to climb into bed so that Griffin can sleep at his feet. The cutest thing ever.  There’s still Hissing-Geri  to contend with, not that he gives her any notice at all. Whenever she starts hissing, he drops to the floor in an ultra-relaxed position with a look that says something like “Is that all you got? I’ve seen a lot worse than you, old lady.”

And I think he has. I’m not sure what happened in his life that ended with him being in a shelter, but I can tell you that I’ve never felt quite so appreciated as I have since we brought him home. You can see it in his eyes, a little sparkle he has that looks a whole lot like he has a second chance at life.

Have you ever rescued a pet from a shelter? If so, tell me all about your pet. You know the look of appreciation I'm talking about, don't you?

Before we got him, Griffin was well-cared for and healthy at Safe Haven for Cats in Wake County, NC. They have other cats who are in need of loving homes. So if you live in the area and have thought about adding a kitty to your home, do check them out. And if you're somewhere else in the country, I'm sure there are wonderful shelters in your area too. Anyway,  I’m providing a link for the shelter where we found Griffin. They do have a donate button, if you’re interested in helping out some feline friends (but don't really want to bring one into your home.)  SAFE HAVEN FOR CATS.

* Originally posted at Lady Scribes 06/12/13