Max the Cat

So as I posted before, we took in a stray cat Tuesday night. I was told on Thursday that we couldn't surrender him to the Humane Society until we kept him for 8 days. Even on the way to the Humane Society, I was having second thoughts and called Mike to tell him this. He has since told me that after I told him I was having 2nd thoughts that he knew we were keeping the cat. I think I knew all along too, especially after I went to the store after the Humane Society and bought a scratching post, food and water bowl and toys. So I call the vet Thursday to make an appointment for Max and we got in the next day. I just wanted to get him checked out to see how old he was and if he was healthy. We didn't want to keep a 12 year old sickly cat who could go in a month after we all got attached.

So the vet tells us he's a nuetered male. WTF???!!?!?! And also that he's about 4 years old. He only weighs 8 pounds and should probably weigh at least 12. He's got a long body so when he fills out, he'll be a big boy. After they told us he was a nuetered male, I knew then that he was definitely someone's cat and I became so conflicted. So someone took the time and money to neuter him. He was obviously someone's pet at one time, so do I spend time and energy looking for his owner? What if we find his owner and we have to give him back? The vet also recommended $20for deworming and $26.50 for a rabies shot. OK, so again how much do I stick into this cat knowing he belonged to someone who may be looking for him? Between the kitty litter, food, litter dish, toys, scratching post, and exam, we've already stuck $100 into this cat. Now they want us to spend another $50 or so for a cat we may not keep or have to give back? UGH!!!! Oh and he has an upper respiratory infection so they gave us a $20 bottle of medicine. It's given him the shits. Nothing like hearing your cat have the shits right outside your bedroom door. That's the life.

So I took him home and gave Mike the scoop. We make the decision to keep him. With how skinny he was, we figured he'd been away from home for a long time. Our sitter suggested the name Max, and that's what we decided on. Max the Cat. He really is a good boy and is already rubbing up against Duchess. Duchess has quit chasing him around the house which is nice. Max is kind of hyper in the early morning, but we figure once we figures us out, he'll learn our routine, just like Duchess did. Duchess's favorite place to hang out in the house is under Paige's bed and when we came home today from church, both Max and Duchess were under her bed! Cute! He hasn't quite taken to Mike as much as to Paige and I. He'll crawl up on the couch by Mike but won't go sit in his lap or let Mike pick him up. Paige could just about grab him and carry him around by the tail and he'd let her. He follows me wherever I go, and after I'd been in the basement sewing tonight for about an hour, he came down and started to meow at me, like it was time to come back upstairs! I'm still getting used to having shit in my house, but I suppose that will come.

My parents and sister are not animal lovers at all and really don't like the dog. My dad knows about the cat, but I don't know if he told my mom or sister yet. The cat might set them over the edge. I wish they were more animal lovers. I like to think we did a good deed by bringing Max in the other night, but anyone would have brought him in after hearing that pathetic meow. Well anyone except my family.