Many years ago, Naomi said she wanted a cat. Manny and I aren't cat people, and it was out of the question. She was particularly fond of black cats, as she knew they were often the last to get adopted. When Nacho passed, her friends said they would get her one for her birthday, so she had to ask me. I was very hesitant, but being that she's been locked down at home for over a year, I thought, well, if her friends can find her one it would be okay. Manny was even more hesitant, as he has seen what happens to cats who run away and how often they do. Plus, as they say, if you want to be loved, get a dog, and if you want something to love, get a cat. Both of us favor dogs for their loyalty and affection, though I have met some dog-like cats in my life. Isaac also has loved cats since he was a toddler. Manny ended up giving a hesitant okay.
As time went on, it became clear only an adult would be able to adopt a cat from the shelter, and it would have to be the one who would be taking care of the cat. Guess who. So I said okay, I'll ask and check around. We found that pets are very hard to come by right now. Several of my friends got dogs or cats during this last year. Also, many of the main shelters are closed, with foster pet parents taking care of them in the time being. So a kitten would show up and be gone the next day. I figured it would be months before we'd even be able to find a prospect. Then Naomi found a shelter I hadn't checked yet. And they had one kitten available. I applied and of course was told it had been claimed. However, they felt I had a very strong application. Maybe it was because I included Nacho's story, as Naomi had suggested, to show that I don't give up on pets and will clean their vomit and wipe their poop around the clock if I have to. They wanted me to take a cat with feline HIV, but after Nacho, I just didn't want another pet that needed meds right off the bat. So they said they had a group of kittens to be available soon for adoption, and they would give me first dibs. It turned out to be four kittens, two of which were a bonded pair, so could not be separated. We couldn't take more than one. The other two, a boy and a girl, were both black. Perfect. I thought the girl was cuter, but I definitely wanted the boy since he was the friendlier one and liked being pet. We agreed we would try it out for a week and be a foster family. But by day 2 we knew he was the one.
Naomi had gone through many names before settling on Pluto. We were looking for a five-letter name suitable for a black cat. Isaac likes astronomy, so he wanted something celestial. My favorite of the original Disney characters is Pluto, so it worked for me. Naomi actually named him after the cat from Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Black Cat." I like that, too, as Poe was a favorite writer of mine when I was Naomi's age.
They estimate he was about 5 1/2 months old at the time we adopted him in March. Naomi and Isaac are over the moon. I've taken a liking to him. Manny and Lucas took a little longer to warm up. I think it's hard to when we just lost a dog. Pluto wasn't meant to be a replacement, though. Nothing can ever replace Nacho in our hearts. I think he and Pluto might've gotten along. They are/were both super friendly.
It was a rough first couple of weeks adjusting for me. The shelter said to just keep him in the bathroom at night with his food, water, and litter box so that we could sleep. But I would also have to be in there with him to adjust. So I sat in that bathroom for hours. And managed to miss my friend's funeral the first day we got him, which I still regret. Cats are crepuscular, up late and up early. Pluto would keep banging on the door, and a couple of times he managed to turn the doorknob (it's a lever) and get out. Naomi tried taking him, but he would keep walking all over her face and meowing for her attention all night. I have been through this for many years with three kids and Nacho, and it hurt our marriage and my health, so I just can't be up with a cat all night. A baby that I have to feed and change, it would make more sense. So after those two weeks, he now at least will settle down by midnight and doesn't asked to be let out till 6:30 am each day (thankfully the time change was actually good for me). I really do miss my rested mornings and quiet time and exercise or time with Manny. Now I'm jarred awake by his banging and rush to let him out before he wakes everyone else. Besides that, I'm happy with the cat. He came litter box trained and neutered already. I only had to take him back for the rest of his shots, and that was it.
He loves jumping up and pouncing. This was a toy from my friend.
I got him a pet tag immediately. Indoor cats can become very disoriented if they get out.
He loves sitting in boxes and hiding under or inside things.
He will lie on his back to signal he wants to play. Or he'll meow, but I don't speak his meow language.
His other inside collar has a bunch of crescent moons, which Isaac really likes (Naomi picked it).
I think I took this on Day 3.
From Day 1. They said he wasn't going to be a lap cat, but I beg to differ. True, he prefers to play, but when he settles, he wants to snuggle with me.
