Scampers

I had a cat for over seventeen years named Moxie. She passed away about five years ago, and ever since I've made do with poor substitutes for pets. I've had mice, Betta fish, and brine shrimp. However, I haven't had the type of pet you can play and cuddle with for a very long time. I grew up with animals, and I've always had a pet, and I miss not having one.

A few weeks ago I was following a couple of friends of mine as they drove in a van towards a local school where one of my friends had just started a new job. I was in my own car. Suddenly, they swerved to the side of the road, and one of my friends jumped out of the car and began to run back the way we had just come. I couldn't see what she was pursuing, but when she returned I saw that she had a small orange and white kitten. "Oh no," I said to myself. That cat is not coming home with me.

Of course, in the end, he did.

I think I knew all along in the back of my mind that I wouldn't be keeping him. But he was seriously cute, and I wasn't about to leave him by the side of the road. He came home with me that night and promptly hid in a hole in my baseboard I never knew was there. So he spent most of Friday night hding in my wall. I was finally able to lure him out and we soon became friends. After a quick visit to the vet Saturday morning for shots and a check-up, Scampers was officially mine-at least for the moment.

My primary concern with keeping Scampers was the size of my apartment, and the fact that I am gone most of the day. This soon proved to be a problem because Scampers was a kitten with an extraordinary amount of energy. When I would finally come home in the evenings, he was ready to play. I was ready for bed. I knew this was a situation that wasn't going to work for either of us.

Fortunately, a friend of mine knew of a woman who already had two kittens. She welcomed the idea of having a third, and I thought it would be good for Scampers to have playmates. So far, it has bgeen working out well