WHO RESCUED WHO?

I know I’ve written about my pet cat, Paisley, before. I’d like to take some time to write about him again. With him, I honestly feel like it was a case of “who rescued who?” He rescued me as much as I rescued him.

You see, Paisley (and his brothers and sisters) was abandoned by his mom when he was only 3 weeks old. The whole litter was found by one of my friends as she was leaving work one day. Seeing no mommy cat around (she waited a little while to make sure that the mom wasn’t coming back), she decided to take the litter and find homes for them all. She posted photos on Instagram in the hope that they’d all find homes.

Well, I kept looking at the photos of the kittens. It’s like something was calling me to them. You see, I was going through tough times back then, and every time I looked at the photos of the kittens, I thought to my self that maybe I should take one. The only problem? I really didn’t know if I wanted a kitten. But yet, I kept staring at the photos. The kittens really were cute. So after thinking about it for a couple of days, I finally contacted my friend and asked her if there were any kittens left. She said that she was on her way to the shelter with the last one. I told her please don’t and that I’d like the kitten.

So, we met in a parking lot of a mall that night.

It was already dark out when I met her at the mall. I’m sure we looked suspicious. She had the little kitten (who I now call Paisley), on a blanket in a laundry basket. I tool one look at the kitten and fell instantly in love. He was so small that he fit in the palms of both my hands. He looked so sad, like he was missing his cat mommy. He was a good kitten though. He didn’t try to get out of the laundry basket. He didn’t hiss at me or anything. He let me pet him. I took him, with the blanket, still in the laundry basket and placed him in my car. I thanked my friend and was glad that she hadn’t made it to the shelter. Sometimes timing is perfect.

I took the kitten home with me. I got a little dish for him and put water in it. I didn’t know much about kittens or cats back then, so I just kind of winged it that first night. I don’t remember exactly, the order of events, but I think I left him in the laundry basket with the blanket and the water, and I put him in the bathroom and shut the door while I made a quick trip to the store for kitten food and some cat litter and a litter box.

I set up a litter box for Paisley. I also got a couple of little dishes and put water and kitten food in them. I never bottle fed him (honestly, I didn’t know I was “supposed” to) but he seemed to do well drinking from the little bowl I had filled with water.

Paisley was always very cuddly as a kitten. I think he’s always been grateful that I recued him from having to go to a shelter. I also think that he sensed whenever I’ve been upset. He comforts me as much as I comfort him.

Paisley celebrated his 8th birthday in July of this year. He’s become my best friend. I know that might sound silly to have a pet as a best friend. But he really is. He knows when I’m happy. He knows when I’m sad. He knows when I’m not feeling well. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends and family who have been there for me when I really needed someone. But there’s nothing like having a pet around 24/7 (if you have a pet, I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from).

As I sit and write this, Paisley is sleeping in one of his towers that looks out a window. He loves looking out the window and, like most cats, he spends most of his day relaxing. He still loves to play. We were playing with string this morning while my coffee was brewing. Also like most cats, he loves boxes and paper bags. I don’t know what cats’ fascination is with boxes and paper bags. But Paisley loves them. I have a paper bag under a dining room chair that Paisley likes to “hide” in. I have a big box in one of my bedrooms that Paisley likes to sometimes sleep in. In my living room I have a box that I’ve opened to form a “tunnel” that Paisley like to walk through to get into the living room. It also faces the kitchen, so sometimes when I’m cooking, he’ll just sit in the “tunnel” and watch me cook. There are also other times that he’ll “hide” in the “tunnel” because he thinks I won’t see him.

I even have pet insurance for him. And yes, I have taken him to the vet and even to the animal hospital. I’ve used the pet insurance a few times. Believe me when I tell you, it’s definitely worth the cost. Pets need to be cared for just like humans are cared for. I know not everyone believes this, but I’m convinced that pets have feelings too. In my opinion, sometimes times have stronger feelings than humans.

Paisley has become quite a huge part of my life over the past 8 years. We bonded pretty quick when he was a kitten. I honestly believe that he goes through separation anxiety when I’m not home. I’m sure it stems from his mommy cat abandoning him and his brothers and sisters when they were only 3 weeks old. He follows me around my apartment whenever I arrive home. He wakes me up in the morning when he wants me to refill his water bowl and his food dish. Sometimes he leads me to the cabinet where I keeps his treats (although I don’t always feed him treats). He doesn’t always want to cuddle. Sometimes the doesn’t want me to pick him up. Sometimes he doesn’t want to be pet. I think he just loves knowing that I’m around. I think he loves knowing that he’s not alone in this world. I think he loves that he’s been taken well care of the past 8 years and that he doesn’t have to live outside and risk getting into fights with other animals.

I am grateful to have Paisley in my life. I know he’s grateful that I’m in his life. I could never have asked for a more perfect pet. He has kept me grounded when I needed it the most. He could never have asked for a better human. I rescued him when he needed to be rescued the most.