Chowder

This is Chowder.  He is an eleven-month Siamese mix rescue kitty, and he is ours!  He was completely unexpected, and everything we hoped for; I can't believe how lucky we are.

When we started looking, I realized that I am very picky about my cats (almost in a lunatic way).  Also, I realized that cat people are a bit crazy.  We went to this one adoption event on Friday night, and it was an absolutely horrible experience.  Tons of people packed into this tiny overheated pet store with that pet store smell and that pet store clutter of jingle toys and rodent wood chip blocks.  It felt a bit like picking out a wedding gown in one of those stuffy posh stores (strange comparison, I know), but they wouldn't just let you browse the available cats--  they had to give us the once over, ask us a few questions about our household, and give Violet the stink eye a few times-- and then they brought out the only two cats (out of about 50) that we were supposed to love and apparently be idiots not to adopt because they fit our bill on paper.  

Well, I do know that these rescue places have very very good reasons to be picky about who they adopt to.  But really, I wasn't about to adopt a pet that way.  

    

We were feeling a bit discouraged after looking a few places and not really connecting with any of the animals we met.  BUT, then on Saturday we stopped by Kitty Harbor.  It's this rescue place in West Seattle that hosts adoption events for various foster groups every so often.  We weren't really expecting to find anything, but we needed to get the bad taste out of our mouths after our experience with the other place.  

Here you can see the bite mark that has been treated on his face.

Before we even went inside, I saw through the gate this beautiful siamese cat wandering around inside their patio area.  When we got in, there he was, just like another human visitor, walking around, looking at all the other cats in the cages.  Greeting everyone.  Very friendly.  I immediately thought this must be the resident cat who lives here; not up for adoption.  He was big.  Not a teensy kitten like the others.  And, although he was by far the most beautiful and friendly cat in the entire place, nobody was really paying much attention to him.  Sadly, I think most people going to these events really just are looking to adopt a kitten and nothing more.  And, honestly, if there had been a tiny little siamese kitten there, I too probably would have been.... distracted.  Who, after all, can resist a kitten?!  But as it was, he kept our attention.  Demanded it, actually.  And was not freaked out by Violet or the passing trains or the other cats whatsoever.  He seemed like he was enjoying the party!  

So, I started to ask the volunteers about him, and this is what I got: 

He's not yet 1; still very much a kitten in heart, just not in size.  He's BIG!  He showed up at a garage sale; a stray with bad bites on his face.  (We have found so many great things at garage sales over the years!)  He loves everything and everyone.   Soon, we came to the realization that our new cat had found us.  So, we took him home.  

It took him about 30 seconds to adjust to his new home.  He absolutely adores Violet, and plays with her appropriately  (meaning, very eagerly and energetically but gently; not in the frenetic attack style that many young kittens do).  He loves attention, but I think won't be quite as needy as Moon always was, which I think is a good thing for this phase of life we're in now.  He is quite silly.  He loves to lie on the carpet with his legs stretched out behind him, just like a big dog.  

And, he loves to hang out with me while I paint in my studio.  

Life, my friends, continues in a lovely and warming way with our hearty Chowder in Seattle.   

Meet our new labrador, I mean cat!

Thank God, there is a cat in my studio again!