Cat Search ’09!

After speaking to several people via email, we decided to visit the Kitten Rescue adoption event in Canoga Park today.

Okay, I’d decided that several days ago and had been sleepless and counting the seconds until today’s event. I finally understand “baby fever,” as I have had a terrible case of “new kitty fever” all week — buying new toys, litter boxes, scratching posts, and researching cat furniture we could never afford. ($350 for a cat tree? But oh, it’s a pretty one!)

We got to the event (held at the Petsmart) before the volunteers had finished setting up and filled out paperwork in a room with four or five kittens. We were immediately attracted to an 8-month old deaf kitty with a crooked neck (unknown cause), but she did not get along with other cats — a deal breaker for us. We spent the next hour cuddling kittens of all different shapes and sizes. There were actually too many awesome cats — it would have been much easier if they only had two or three to pick from.

Eventually, we narrowed it down to “Sophie,” an adorable little girl who looks a lot like Cairo and was bottle-fed, meaning she was a cuddly little purr-bot who needs tons of affection, and “Arthur,” a mellow, laid-back dude who put up with all sorts of cuddling and playing from his littermates.

Ultimately, “Arthur” won our hearts. I’ve always had a weakness for grey cats and he had a seriously cute way of sitting in our arms and observing the world. Tomorrow he must undergo his “exit inspection” from the Rescue, then his foster mom will come to our house and make sure we’re offering a safe environment for the cat. If we pass, she’ll leave “Arthur” with us!

So, we can’t exactly celebrate yet, but there seem to be cuddles on the horizon, hopefully as early as tomorrow morning. “Arthur” will be his middle name, in honor of his foster mom. We haven’t come up with a first name yet. To tide you over, here’s a picture of the little dude I snapped with my phone:

From 2009 Photobook