Perseverance

Heather has loved cats for a long time.

After years of asking, “Can we get a kitten?” thousands of times, a giant evolution in strategy and persuasion occurred. The kitten petition… signed by two dozen friends and family members, including the line, witnessed by those same people, “I (Heather) will clean the litter box when needed.”

Then she got me to agree to a trip to the Humane Society just to look. We stayed and visited with cats and kittens for a good long time. I thought I might be allergic to cats because my eyes became itchy when I stayed overnight in a home with a cat. I only had a slightly itchy eyes that day, so clearly, if I’m allergic, it’s not a severe case. One staff member said that kittens don’t cause allergies until after 1 year when their coat changes and they begin to release dander. I have also heard that sometimes people who are allergic to cats can get used to their own cat. In a moment of impeccable timing when Leo the kitten was laying across my belly, she asked, “Can we take him home? Isn’t he the best one?”

Leo came home. If he were to have a middle name, it would be Percy, short for perseverance. He’s cuddly and friendly. He purrs a lot and he’s a lap cat, which didn’t even know was a thing.

Long before the first campaign ended, the two cat campaign had started, as in, “Should we get two cats or one? Don’t you think Leo needs a friend?” Right before I left for the weekend, I noticed Heather’s to do list.

She has been busy make cat furniture and cat toys. Scratching post is almost finished, second cat, not yet.