I May Be Ignorant
Sunday. Early afternoon.
The phone rings. In the time it takes me to walk to the phone and check the Caller ID, I flip through my mental contact list and try to guess who is calling. It’s a quizzical game I play with myself, just for fun.
I did not recognize the number, but I answer it anyway because I have a feeling who’s calling. Is it me or can anyone else do this? It’s possible when I fell on my head as a kid some of my marbles rolled out, but I picked up a sixth sense while I was down there. Don’t cry for me, Argentina.
Yes, sometimes when the phone rings I know who’s calling, sometimes I know what they want and sometimes someone will throw me a curve ball and I am dead wrong, but not this time.
It’s the adoption agency.
The previous day I went to the pet store to see what cats, if any, they had for adoption. The clerk told me the adoption agency just left but to fill out an application and someone would contact me.
Okay hold on, I know what you’re thinking, that I really don’t have a sixth sense, but I should have been expecting a phone call. I see your point, but that’s not entirely true.
My sixth sense learns behaviors, patterns, and sometimes I can even read minds. The last person’s mind I read was D and since revealing my ability to him, he’s scared to think, hasn’t had a thought in weeks!
Sometimes it just turns itself on. Why just the other day I gave a correct Jeopardy question before seeing the answer. Based on the category alone, I knew the answer would be one of the clues, I just didn’t know it would be the first one, turns out I was right.
The kid asked how I answered before seeing the clue. I wonder if you can ring in on Jeopardy before they show you the answer. In any event, I have references.
But back to my story.
The woman on the phone introduces herself and says she reviewed my application and loved it. How do you love an application? I don’t know, maybe she enjoyed my facetious answers. I thought the application was funny and found humor in the following questions:
Do you have other pets?
Yes, I have fish and a hamster.
Where do you keep them?
In an aquarium. [Not together of course.]
I know they mean cat or dog when they say other pets, but I can’t resist the sarcasm and love leaving my comedic calling cards around town.
This reminds of the time I went to the dentist and one of the questions on the application read “What do you want to do if your treatment exceeds $500?”
First gut reaction? I wrote, pass out. Well it was the truth and the receptionist thought it was funny. No doubt a story she will share with her grandchildren.
After reviewing my application over the phone, she considers me to be a good candidate and tells me that all the cats will be on display until 5:00 p.m.
I ask her how long the adoption process will take, if anyone needs to visit my home and how soon before I can take the cat home. I can tell from her pregnant pause that she’s baffled by my questions. She tells me I can take her home the same day.
What, no blood? No fingerprinting? No background check? Oh wait, she did call my references. I tell her I will be right down and shortly thereafter I leave.
When I arrive at the pet store the cat we want to adopt is gone and I feel a pinch of disappointment that she was adopted by someone else. I’m not certain if adoption is on a first come first serve, so I look for someone to assist me. I tell them that I filled out and application yesterday for Blaise and the woman says, “Oh yeah you’re the one with a hamster and fish.” She then leads me to a room and that’s where I finally meet Blaise.
They tell me what a great cat Blaise is and that she is just starting talk or meow since being dropped off at the shelter two weeks ago. Blaise was surrendered to the shelter because her owner fell ill. I’m guessing allergies, but illness was the reason listed for all of the cats up for adoption.
Blaise is two years old; she has a great personality, healthy looking eyes, teeth and a shiny black coat. She is spayed, has her claws and is up-to-date with her shots. After spending time with her I decided I wanted to adopt Blaise.
The woman from the shelter gives me several coupons and tells me to go shopping and what I need to buy. I start out with the basic stuff, litter box, a few toys and the cat litter and food are free. I hope they are going to give me the free cardboard box to carry her home in but nothing doing, so I purchase a pet carrier.
Blaise didn’t like being stuffed into the pet carrier and voiced her displeasure all the way home. I keep the house quiet so she can explore the new box she will be living in. Crouching down low like the ceilings are 1 foot high, Blaise creeps from room to room until she finds refuge under a bed. My bed.
Eventually Blaise comes out to interact with her new surroundings. I can only imagine what is going through her instinctive mind when she sees the Teddy, the hamster. She probably thinks, oh this is just too easy.
Sometimes Blaise will walk by Teddy’s cage and the hamster will stop all activity and pretend to be a statue. Other times they will hold their ground and have a stare down. Together they are fun and entertaining to watch. Blaise de-stresses from not being able to catch Teddy by plopping down in front of the aquarium to watch the fish swim.
One thing I love about this cat is that she has no interest in store bought things, but finds enjoyment in homemade stuff, like the string on one of my bed pillows. She doesn’t care about hanging out in her kitty condo, but prefers to lounge on my king size bed. Contrary to popular belief, catnip doesn’t excite her either.
It would not surprise me to come home one day to find out she rented the rooms in her condo to stray cats who are hanging out the window smoking catnip. Maybe that’s why I’m saving all of my receipts for her expenses, I expect to be repaid, somehow.
So far it’s been nice having her around. The first thing the lady said to me was: this is a lifelong commitment, etc…and I’m thinking, no it isn’t, one of us will die. Of course, I don’t say that but I nod my head yes.
I am committed to taking care of Blaise. I enrolled in a free e-course to learn more about cat care and behavior. I ask questions from those who have cats.
Periodically, I read cat websites to keep abreast on what’s new. Times have changed though, who knew animals would one day wear clothes, go on play dates, vacation in pet hotels. They even have doctors, psychiatrists and crunch on antidepressants, if need be.
They live like humans and for some, just as well. I didn’t know taking care of a pet was more than just giving it food and water. In the past, I admit I may have been ignorant, but irresponsible, I am not.
In: Animals · Tagged with: Adoption, Ignorant, Pets
on August 28, 2009 at 7:32 am
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I had a similar experience when we adopted our cat 15 years ago.
I truly felt like I was kidnapping the Lindbergh baby. At the time we lived in an apartment so I had to have my sister adopt the cat since she lived in a house.
They called her for the next year, intermittently, to check up on that cat. The first time she had to wing it, after that I had to update her on which vet we used, what the report was, what kind of cat food she was eating, etc.
Wtf man? It’s a cat.
cardiogirl´s last blog ..The book of questions, Volume 56
on August 29, 2009 at 10:49 am
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Cardiogirl,
I understand them wanting to make sure the cat goes to a good home, but seriously, it IS a cat. The woman only called me once and I emailed her a few times. I told her any time she wants to come on by, feel free. Haven’t heard from her since.