Cats!

No one could have told me that I would end up with three cats in my house. My ex-husband and I both liked cats and had two cats before our boys were born. KC was an orange tabby and Ridgeway was a Norwegian Forest Cat who we found and took in. KC died when Jacob was about 2 years old. Ridgeway grew old with us and died in Nov. 2008. Both boys took it very hard. Elijah still cries for Ridgeway.

We knew Ridgway was getting older and when our neighbor’s cat had kitten we decided we would take one. We chose the black tabby and brought him home when he was two months old. Ridgeway was still with us at this time. He died about three weeks later. The neighbor asked if we could foster Tiger’s mother. They were keeping two of her kittens, but the mom would not let them integrate into the household with another cat they had. We took in Shadow so that Tiger would not be lonely.

Elijah and stopped at a pet store that December and they had cats and kittens up for adoption. We saw a precious black and white kitten and Elijah really wanted him. Now Elijah knows how to work it…pouty lips with his “please momma, please”. We decided to get the kitten and bring him home. We knew Shadow would not be with us long and Tiger would be lonely again. The kitten was named KiKi, but we soon changed her name to Perky and it has stuck. She is a perky little thing and fit right into our family.
Shadow stayed with us until February 2009 and then returned home. We had our two cats, Tiger and Perky, who got along very well and who both boys loved very much. The cats were great with teaching Elijah how to be gentle and loving to others. Every time we went to a pet store though, he would ask for another kitten. I would tell him NO, we just didn’t need another one.

This past November while talking to a friend at work, I mentioned that Elijah sure did want another kitten, but we just couldn’t afford one. She told me about a kitten that a friend had rescued that she took in. She really couldn’t keep the kitten because she had two cats already and lived in an apartment. She told me her friend would pay for the kitten’s first shots and to be neutered. I talked to the boys about it and we decided that we did want another kitten. On Dec. 11, 2009, Oreo joined our family. He has been a great addition. It took some time for Perky and Tiger to really accept him, but they are great friends now.

When I ask Elijah and Jacob who their favorite cat is, they both respond….ALL THREE! They are all very loving cats and continue to help me teach both boys how to treat others. They each have their own personality….Tiger is the big boy of the bunch and the most laid back. Perky, well is Perky, and always getting into trouble. She constantly wants to escape to the outside. Oreo is the baby and very much into mischief, but in a kitten type of way. We will never forget our Ridgeway though, he was the first cat both boys ever really knew!