MaoAversary - This week I celebrated my three-year anniversary with my buddy, Mao. I replaced a boy-friend with a Mao. My mother has called it my up-grade. The role is roughly the same; I feed him, drive him around, clean up after him and in return, he is very independent, in need of a lot of personal time, and affectionate when he chooses.

For a few years I had wanted a cat, and while I would ask "can we get a cat?" the answer was inevitably "really? Why would you want a cat?" Well, my housing situation changed and suddenly I found myself living alone for the first time in my life. Once again I asked "can I get a cat?" and the answer this time was "sure - you live in your own place!" but then I had to reflect ... did I really want a cat, or was I asking because I knew the answer would always be no! Did I really want a cat? 

I spent two months thinking about it and decided that I would adopt an older cat from the Ottawa Humane Society shortly after Christmas. My thinking was that everyone wants a kitten and there is usually a deluge of animals after Christmas as people "up-grade" their pet choices; leaving older animals in need of a home. The issues associated with cats never really dawned on me; jumping onto surfaces including kitchen counters, digging in plants, chasing birds, trying to attack my fish, scratching my furniture .... a cat was a little beast that slept at the end of my bed, keeping my feet warm at night, or snuggled next to me while I read.

On Saturday January 12th, 2008 I found myself at the Humane Society looking for a new house-mate.

The cages were filled with cats of all shapes and sizes. How to choose which animal I should take home with me? How was my arbitrary criteria going to find me the "perfect" cat? I looked at all the people playing with the kittens and walking away with them, I circled the cages with older cats and then I saw a little tabby-cat; much older than I was expecting. He was depressed, hiding at the back of his cage which had been his home for over six weeks, but when they put him in my arms he snuggled, started to purr and then licked me!

He loves to snuggle and follow me around the house. He doesn't jump on any hard surfaces, ignores the fish, doesn't touch my plants and has only killed one bird - a very impressive feat for a de-clawed house cat smaller than most of my hand-bags. He isn't too bad in a car which makes it easy to drive the 4.5 hours to my parents place, and he has learned to hang out with dogs. He snuggles in the morning, and curls up around me feet when I am reading. He loves people and is curious when I have parties, meeting new people and melting into their lives. He can be a bit of a slut and as soon as someone new arrive at my house Mao has a new best friend, and occasionally he is vocal about his desire to hit the deck. But honestly, I couldn't ask for anything more in a cat.


He is my plug-and-play cat; I brought him home and he just was perfect. In the lottery of adoptions I have hit the jack-pot! I have the best cat in the world..