I have four cats at the moment. I usually only have two at any one time. I've had cats my entire life, well since I was seven years old. I actually wanted a dog but both my parents had dogs as children and decided we would have cats. I've never pursued the reasons why and don't need to now. One thing I've found as I get older is that I don't have to have all the answers to all the questions that come up.
Anyway all my present cats were adopted as adult cats. Before this I had started out with kittens that people gave me. I started to adopt adult cats when after my cats had died of old age I went looking for a couple of kittens and I saw all the adult cats that needed a home. I adopted Hobbs and Goober when they were five and four years old, they are now 15 and 14 years old. Hobbs is black with white like he's wearing a tuxedo with white spats on his front paws. Goober is all black. They are not related but raised together and at times barely civil to each other. I've come home many days to globs of cat hair on the floor. Hobbs is the bully of the two. Hobbs doesn't meow he squeaks. He also loves to eat and never misses a meal even when he doesn't feel well. His second favorite activity is sleeping. He gets the blue ribbon for couch potato. Goober was not a social cat when I got him, he didn't like to be petted but he loved to play. It took a year of patiently working with him to be able to pick him up without his growling and also letting me pet him. Now he comes to me for attention and will sleep next to me if it's not too crowded.
I was taking a friend to pick out a young cat to adopt for herself since her apartment building had just allowed one cat per unit. We went to the Animal Rescue League of Boston and the MSPCA Angel in Boston and she found a younger version of Goober to adopt at the Animal Rescue League.
At the MSPCA I came across two nine year old long-haired females that were in a separate room and they were so sweet and friendly. I read their story of having an owner with Alzheimer's and having to be given up because their owner had to be transferred to a nursing home. By the way they were shaved because their owner hadn't groomed them and their fur became very matted. Then I saw their names Thelma and Louise and that they had been there for almost three months already. My heart was tugged so hard that I couldn't leave without adopting them. Louise is definitely part Maine Coon cat and quite large but Thelma is probably not because she's your average size cat. They are definitely sisters according to the MSPCA staff. The MSPCA voluteers and staff were so excited to have someone adopt Thelma and Louise. Apparently there were favorites of everyone.
When I got Thelma and Louise home I kept them in a separate room from Hobbs and Goober for about two weeks so they could get used to the smells and sounds. Occasionally I would let them see each other when the door was opened so they could get used to the idea of each other. Then the day came to let them meet. I let Thelma and Louise out of their room so they could explore the rest of the house and meet Hobbs and Goober.
Well the first meeting was quite interesting. It turned out that Thelma is the bold one and won't put up with any bull from Hobbs and Goober and she put them on notice right away by hissing at Hobbs and hitting Goober on the head. Were they ever surprised. Louise on the other hand was altogether either frightened still or nonplussed. Hobbs and Goober came up to her and Goober hissed and growled at her and she just sat there like she heard nothing or didn't care. I've never seen a cat act like that.
Now that it's been three years since I adopted Thelma and Louise, I can safely say that Louise was nonplussed. Because when push comes to shove she does stand her ground and growl but it takes a lot for her to feel that she has to. Usually she just turns and walk away like its such a bother. Louise is another blue ribbon couch potato. Her favorite activity is sleeping.
Thelma and Goober are the hyper vigilant type, always on alert and ready to go. They follow the sun, up at dawn and asleep at dusk. Oh and they nap in-between but they are still quite active for their age.
In the beginning as their long-hair coat grew back in I began brushing it and noticed two things, Thelma was obsessed with keeping herself clean and Louise never took a bath (that I saw). So after the winter I decided to take them to the groomer at the local pet shop so Louise could get a bath, which it turned out she did need. The groomer told me she has never had a cat sit still like Louise did when being groomed. And especially when being bathed in the sink! She took a picture of my very wet cat just sitting natural in the sink. If I find it I'll post it to the blog. Anyway after being taken for another bath six months later, low and behold Louise starts to clean herself finally. So now they just get trimmed from long-hair to short-hair during the summer months.
I don't know if I would have four cats again, it gets expensive but I love these kitties. I don't regret adopting Thelma and Louise at all. They have helped mellow out Hobbs and Goober and
and they love to be loved. Louise loves to be near me all the time including when I'm on the computer so I put a cat bet next to the laptop so she'll stop walking on the keyboard. Thelma is my shadow. Anytime I get up and go anywhere she is there and I have to watch my step. Even Goober appreciates them now because Hobbs picks on Louise sometimes and not him all the time.
I really enjoy having these cats and I know they love living with me.
