When Cleo passed away last year, her mom and I decided not to think about another feline companion for the time being. As it was, we knew it would take a while to adjust to a home without our ornery old gal, and we needed more time to consider another housemate. Additionally, our home is part of a large private estate where I am the caretaker, and although we've grown to love the Asheville area, my employer decided to relocate and has placed the property on the market. We decided that the random showings and the fact that we've occasionally been traveling out of state for my work would be too disruptive. Over the months, we've been visiting Brother Wolf Animal Rescue to visit the furry little residents awaiting furrever homes for our🐱fix and to drop off a donation. Last Saturday, we stopped by to see the kitties, and Cleo's mom called my attention to a gorgeous 13-year-old lady cat curled up in her padded dome. Smudge, it was noted, had some minor medical and diet issues and had been head pressing and exhibiting other stress-related behavior. Among the more alarming notations in Smudge's file that gave us cause for concern (😉) was this: "has a duck-like meow (lol)". For real. Her meow was more like a cross between a duck's quack and the low, throaty croak of a Kardashian. That sealed it. You can probably guess where this is going.
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| The Sweetest Little Smudge |
We were only planning on visiting, but we decided then and there that we weren't leaving without this senior sweetie who made sure to let us know that we could give her head and chin scritches, but were in no way allowed to pick her up (remind you of someone else?)
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| Already learning to relax in her new home |
So why do we do it? I mean, it's one thing to watch your pet grow from a newborn through kittenhood and on up through the years. I guess we just have a real soft spot for the elder kitties. All the worry, special needs, potential heartbreak, and everything else that can go along with adopting a senior might scare off many pet owners. We just can't help ourselves, I suppose. As with Orbit before her, sweet, slightly crotchety Cleo can't be replaced and will never be forgotten. Smudge has kidnapped a big chunk of our collective hearts and is slowly settling into her routine here with us. Her records say she's a gray tabby, but I believe she might actually be a dilute torbie with that smudge of color on her forehead and in a few other less noticeable places. Whatever the case, we love her like crazy and look forward to a life filled with her companionship, indifference and antics (she's already showing a playful side, albeit a somewhat lazy one much like a previously-mentioned someone else). On Wednesday, we brought Smudge in for a complete physical, and we just heard back yesterday that she is remarkably healthy for a 13-year-old. And now we can release our breath.
