Catsanova

There are two kinds of cat people. You can tell the difference between the two when a pet cat dies. One kind will, still damp with grieving, pick herself up and get to the animal shelter to adopt another cat. I think there are two main reasons for this. The first is that the hole in one's heart is so vast and such saddness has befallen one, that one must find solace, and a cat person turns to her cat, and if there isn't one, she gets one. Second reason is that the deceased cat would have wanted it that way, another of its kind getting a nice home, in this world filled with cats needing homes.

The second kind of cat person probably isn't a cat person but a garden variety person who doesn't mind having a cat as a pet. Upon death of one's cat, this person takes a breather and waits and waits and considers whether or not to get a cat.

I've seen relationships crash and burn due to the difference in these types, because the true cat person gets stifled by the control freak take-or-leave-a-cat person.

Thankfully CW and I share the distinction of being true cat people, and true to form, the next day after Willa Lee sailed off to the great beyond, we went to the SPCA. We went on the spur of the moment Sunday morning. CW was ritually fixing her breakfast while I was surfing the net, looking at the SPCA web site. I told her that they were holding a "kittengarten" class this morning at 930 and we'd get first choice of cats if we attened as well as a discount.

Normally nothing will break CW out of her deeply ingrained habits, but that day she said, ok, gobbled her breakfast and we hopped into the car (I was very impressed and thankful of her spontaneity).

We normally tend to adopt older cats, but this time, we wanted a kitten. So many mewing bodies, paws reaching out to us. We almost adopted little One Eyed Jack, a tabby with one eye. He was a little too fiesty for me, and I felt he might torture my older cat Stella.

The last kitten room and who should be there but a mellow 7 month old orange tabby boy cat. Usually orange tabbies are male, and these cats are particularly mellow, loving and plain good sports.

He had conjunctivitis and I wasn't thrilled, but he was a doll, so we adopted him. We made a home for him on the sun porch and he easily became one of the family.

Naming him has been difficult. I let CW do it, as I felt she needed to bond to him to heal from Willa Lee. We settled on 'Sailor' for sometime, and he seems to get it, but now CW has come up with 'Catsanova' and we'll try that out.

He's a real neat cat, he sits and watches me cook and he doesn't chase after Stella, though he is interested in making friends. I'm really glad we got the little fella. I love Stella, but she isn't a lap cat except on her terms, and sometimes you just want a gooey cat who will just lounge all over you.

Long live Sailor Catsanova Lee!