Be Mine Feline

Last week, I came across an article that described how Fairfax County Animal Control was far beyond capacity in cats from a hoarding investigation in November. For the month of February, they are doing their best, with minimal advertising, to find homes for these animals.

I've long been thinking about getting another cat. Miss Luna is so dreadful in the car and she definitely makes me pay for it if I leave her alone for a night or two. The truth is, for as long as I've had her, there has always been another cat around. I really think she was spending most of her time lonely.

I spoke with some friends who have cats and we all agreed that I should look for a male on the youngish side of adult. I figured why not have a look, and went to the shelter, that happens to be very close to the office, yesterday. I was expecting to fall in love with every cat in there, and it's not hard to do! I was also expecting to maybe find one and then wait a few days to a week for him to be neutered.

And then there was this guy.


He was sleeping when I came over, he noticed me, perked up, and rolled over. I wandered around a bit more while he showed off for another family that was also looking for a male cat, and then went to get a volunteer. Even though they were in the cat room before me, the other family admitted that I was looking at him first.

His tail is about half the length that is should be and has two funky ends. His coat is a little dingy, but I think that's from being in the shelter. When he gets comfortable, he'll keep himself cleaner. His eyes are bright green and his nose is a deep burgundy. He's about two years old and he wasn't part of the hoarding seizure, he was brought in as a stray- already neutered.

Guess what already neutered means? It means I got to take him home right away! He's had all his required shots and tested negative for FIV and leukemia.

He is such a sweet boy! His name is Phantom, after my favorite super hero. I kept thinking Gray and Ghost, and it hit me that the Gray Ghost was an early name for the Phantom, before the first Sunday strip showed his costume to be purple. (The Gray Ghost later became a Batman character, and the Phantom's costume was referred to as gray for some time after his color debut.)

Now to meet Miss Luna. I don't really have a way to seclude the cats, so I just have to let them into the house together and hope they behave. At first, there was minimal growling, but it did start. I tried to go to bed at 21:30, but Phantom sat on the dresser by my bed and growled at poor Luna every time she tried to come into the bedroom. I guess Phantom eventually settled on his bed in the kitchen around 01:00ish and Miss Luna could finally join me. It was a long night.

I will run by the pet store today and get some new cat supplies. I do hope they're being civil to each other today. I had no choice but to just leave them to their own devices. I think they will work things out, but it will take time.