Our new cat
Jul. 1st, 2007 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fenchurchBefore I get on with recounting the day's activities, I need to bring up something I haven't mentioned about our blind cat Polly, even though I probably should have written about it two months ago or so. At the time it was too tough to talk about, and then I put it off because I hadn't said anything and it had been so long it seemed a bit awkward. Back in May, the day before I left on my trip down to California, Polly passed away of kidney failure. We were expecting it, really, but it was still hard when it finally happened. I think leaving on such an extended trip right afterward was probably a good thing, overall... by the time I got home, I'd dealt with missing her and I didn't really ever have to deal with the pangs of being somewhere that was "her space" without her there.
For about the past week, we've been on the lookout for a new cat. We miss having two cats around and Zoë has been showing definite signs of being lonely -- she and Polly must have been interacting much more than we ever thought... because as far as we knew, all Polly ever did was hiss at Zoë, who began to treat such a thing as just Polly's way of saying "Hi!!" Apparently they were covertly speaking to one another in the secret silent cat language the whole time. We've been definitely looking for an adult cat, since we didn't want a kitten (they're cute and cuddly and a whole lot of work), although trying to find one on the younger side. So today we headed to the Seattle Humane Society Adoption Center (which is, rather strangely if you know the area, located in Bellevue (i.e. NOT Seattle)).
She was the actually very first cat we looked at when we walked into the first of the cat rooms (they'd placed her in the Library... a room designed to look like a library, with shelves and ladders for the cats to climb on). She hopped up onto a shelf, came right over and headbutted me in the face and then ran over to do the same to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rackham and we were hooked. We did take a token look at the other cats, but we were pretty much sold on her right from the start.
The vets with the Humane Society estimate that she's about a year and a half old and it's pretty obvious she's had kittens in the past. She was found as a stray about two months ago, but absolutely loves people, so we're guessing she used to have a home somewhere. She's a grey/black striped tabby and she's TINY (I suspect she had her first litter of kittens way too young). Oh, and she's a very loud purrer.
We'd been been bouncing potential names off each other through the whole "adoption" process... with Kaylee, Chanur and Numfar ending up as our top contenders. We figured we'd get her home and spend some more time with her before deciding... but after the third or fourth time one of us slipped up and, without thinking, called her Numfar, we decided that had to be it.
She's been very hard to photograph since she still has her investigating feet on and is moving rather quickly around the house, but here's a shot of her checking out the piano:
It's hard to tell in that photo, but she really is quite tiny... in fact, if they hadn't told us she was a year and a half old, I would have pegged her as being around 9 months old -- very much a gangly, gawky teenager looking cat. But she's very affectionate and, even better, seemed to treat our holding her down and putting caps on her claws as one of the greatest things ever ("There are two humans here! And they're touching me! Glee!")
Poor Zoë just doesn't know quite what to make of Numfar... there's only been a minimal amount of hissing, and Numfar seems to have hit upon *the* best way to get Zoë's goat: Ignore her. So, Numfar's wandering around exploring the house, completely ignoring Zoë who is trailing behind her everywhere she goes... keeping about a yard or so between them at all times. Very funny! But we have high hopes that they'll get used to one another quickly.
For about the past week, we've been on the lookout for a new cat. We miss having two cats around and Zoë has been showing definite signs of being lonely -- she and Polly must have been interacting much more than we ever thought... because as far as we knew, all Polly ever did was hiss at Zoë, who began to treat such a thing as just Polly's way of saying "Hi!!" Apparently they were covertly speaking to one another in the secret silent cat language the whole time. We've been definitely looking for an adult cat, since we didn't want a kitten (they're cute and cuddly and a whole lot of work), although trying to find one on the younger side. So today we headed to the Seattle Humane Society Adoption Center (which is, rather strangely if you know the area, located in Bellevue (i.e. NOT Seattle)).
She was the actually very first cat we looked at when we walked into the first of the cat rooms (they'd placed her in the Library... a room designed to look like a library, with shelves and ladders for the cats to climb on). She hopped up onto a shelf, came right over and headbutted me in the face and then ran over to do the same to
rackham and we were hooked. We did take a token look at the other cats, but we were pretty much sold on her right from the start.The vets with the Humane Society estimate that she's about a year and a half old and it's pretty obvious she's had kittens in the past. She was found as a stray about two months ago, but absolutely loves people, so we're guessing she used to have a home somewhere. She's a grey/black striped tabby and she's TINY (I suspect she had her first litter of kittens way too young). Oh, and she's a very loud purrer.
We'd been been bouncing potential names off each other through the whole "adoption" process... with Kaylee, Chanur and Numfar ending up as our top contenders. We figured we'd get her home and spend some more time with her before deciding... but after the third or fourth time one of us slipped up and, without thinking, called her Numfar, we decided that had to be it.
She's been very hard to photograph since she still has her investigating feet on and is moving rather quickly around the house, but here's a shot of her checking out the piano:
It's hard to tell in that photo, but she really is quite tiny... in fact, if they hadn't told us she was a year and a half old, I would have pegged her as being around 9 months old -- very much a gangly, gawky teenager looking cat. But she's very affectionate and, even better, seemed to treat our holding her down and putting caps on her claws as one of the greatest things ever ("There are two humans here! And they're touching me! Glee!")
Poor Zoë just doesn't know quite what to make of Numfar... there's only been a minimal amount of hissing, and Numfar seems to have hit upon *the* best way to get Zoë's goat: Ignore her. So, Numfar's wandering around exploring the house, completely ignoring Zoë who is trailing behind her everywhere she goes... keeping about a yard or so between them at all times. Very funny! But we have high hopes that they'll get used to one another quickly.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 07:20 am (UTC)How old is Zoë? And what is the origin of 'Numfar', may I ask?
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Date: 2007-07-01 08:24 am (UTC)"Numfar! Do the dance of joy!"
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 07:44 am (UTC)But Numfar looks purfectly beautiful.. bless her little paws: )
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Date: 2007-07-01 04:07 pm (UTC)Thanks... and they really do, even when you think you're prepared for it.
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Date: 2007-07-01 08:06 am (UTC)I'm curious - what are caps for claws? I've never heard of that before.
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Date: 2007-07-01 04:11 pm (UTC)They just fit right over the claws and are held in place with superglue. The cats don't even seem to notice they're there after the first minute or so.
All we could find when we went looking yesterday were the clear ones, but I'm going to see about ordering either blue or purple to put on when we have to replace them.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 08:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 08:49 am (UTC)Enjoy!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 10:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 10:23 pm (UTC)Numfar is so kittenish, we really have to wonder a bit about the "year and a half old" estimate. We'll be taking her to see our vet next week and we'll see what he says.
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Date: 2007-07-01 09:06 am (UTC)Yay for Numfar though! She sounds uberly cute and sweet and she looks so adorable! **loves** :D
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Date: 2007-07-02 04:27 am (UTC)in Jan we lost sweet sweet Cody (at work) to kidney failure (because of the poisoned cat food.
Oh no! We were really worried about that with Polly, since we had to feed her canned food in order to get all over her medication into her. But I really don't think it was what caused the problems at the end... not with her medical history.
We're having a lot of fun with Numfar, though... even better, she and Zoë have entered into a sort of Kitty Detente and are mostly ignoring each other. We have high hopes that they'll start playing with each other within a week!
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 11:20 am (UTC)I've never found kittens to be any trouble, actually, as long as you get them after weaning. "Here's your litter box" is about the only thing I've ever had to do with them.
I've been lucky, I guess. I've had 2 that were about 4-weeks-old. One never had an accident, and the little feral one only had about 2.
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Date: 2007-07-01 11:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 11:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 12:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 01:00 pm (UTC)Numfar is adorable. And she seems smart too.
Welcome Numfar!
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Date: 2007-07-01 01:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 01:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 01:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 01:41 pm (UTC)I sometimes wish my husband was a cat lover but at least I got my dog (well over 22 years it is now the fourth dog). All the best for Numfar ::does the Dance of Joy::
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Date: 2007-07-01 01:49 pm (UTC)http://pics.livejournal.com/zotel/pic/0000dfcb
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Date: 2007-07-01 02:14 pm (UTC)You probably already know this, but Lemieux is French for "the best."
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 05:05 pm (UTC)All we can think is that her first owners kicked her out when she got pregnant, or something along those lines... because she's definitely not feral.
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Date: 2007-07-01 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 02:41 pm (UTC)Numfar, indeed. Do the dance of joy!
(And I'm really enjoying Firefox2.0 and its automatic spell check. It totally doesn't get Numfar!)
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Date: 2007-07-01 05:04 pm (UTC)It really did. I mean, on the surface of it, it seems like really horrible timing... but I think it did help to be away from the house for nearly a month and to plunge right into something that kept me so busy.
Numfar, indeed. Do the dance of joy!
Hee! I'm hoping to get a good pic of her "dancing" (i.e. playing with a cat toy) to make into an icon.
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Date: 2007-07-01 03:11 pm (UTC)And my Numfar ( see icon) says hello to your Numfar
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Date: 2007-07-01 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 04:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-01 05:12 pm (UTC)So sorry to hear about Polly, but as you say, time heals, and the trip probably did help with the getting-over parts. She was loved!
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Date: 2007-07-01 05:17 pm (UTC)