5/29/18
#2: Introducing…
Growing up I never got to have a pet. While my father was raised on a farm, which had cattle, horses, chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc., my mother is scared shitless of all forms of animals. When I tell people this, they assume I am exaggerating, but I’m not. When she comes to my house now, she refuses to sit down, thinking my cats will be able to “get the jump on her,” and they will maul her to death. Death by kitties...I can think of worse ways to go. I wasn’t even allowed to have a fish! Even though we lived in a small town, in Iowa, my father continued to farm with my uncle and grandfather. Even though I didn’t have any pets growing up, I was no stranger to animals. I even got to help deliver a calf once. I am proud to say now that I am out on my own, I have three cats, all of which are rescues: two from a local pet rescue and another we saved from a shitty owner.
Bella: First up is Bella, short for Bellame (I was really into the show The 100 on CW at the time, so I named her after my favorite character). She is one of the two cats we got from the local pet rescue. She was found on the side of the road barely alive. A semi-driver found her, took her to the vet, and now she is as healthy as a horse. She is a black and white cat who is very timid to new people but extremely loving and cuddly after she gets to know them. She has this really cool pattern on her face which makes it look like she is always smiling. To quote this registered sex offender who was in my house once (sorry not going to give any context to that..), “That cat could be in commercials.” I think she could. I just think she would hate all the people. Also this cat likes me way better than Kayla.
Phoebe: For the record, Kayla got to name this cat. I’m not really a fan of Friends...sorry to disappoint; I prefer Cheers. She was actually kept in the same cage as Bella at the pet rescue, so we decided to take both of them because we aren’t monsters. We couldn’t separate the two friends! She is also a black and white cat who I affectionately refer to as Skinny Cat because she eats and just can’t seem to keep weight on. She is a very vocal cat and meows a lot. She won’t lay down if you are petting her. She just keeps on walking around on top of you. She was given to a pet rescue after getting trapped under a trailer. Her rescuers ended up having to take a few things out of the trailer to get her out.
Tobi: I only ever wanted two cats… I went to a comic convention one weekend in Kansas City and got a text message from Kayla that read, “What do you want to name our new cat?” I assumed she was messing with me ,and after a few messages back and forth, I video called her, only to see her with a tiny white and gray kitten on her shoulder. A co-worker of hers had a bunch of kittens which needed homes. Kayla took her sister so she could get one and ended up seeing Tobi. Tobi was the runt, very tiny compared to the other kittens.e had a terrible infection in both eyes. All of the kittens were being kept on a cement floor in a garage, midwinter, with no blanket. If she wouldn’t have brought Tobi home, he would have died. I arrived home from the convention at about 2 a.m., only so see this tiny little cat roaming around blindly on the floor, being hissed at by Bella and Phoebe. Tuesday, he went to the vet, and now he has a complex. He walks around like he runs the place (he pretty much does), like he has the biggest balls in all of history (even though we had his balls removed). My cousin refers to him as “Satan Cat,” but he is actually a very cuddly cat who will always sleep next to our bed at night. I tried to be mad at Kayla, but dammit, I loved that little bastard from the moment I saw him.
Remember, folks, to help control the pet population, please have your pets spayed or neutered!
Everyday I will be posting an entry in my writing challenge 100 Days which has been collected into a print collection. If you are interested in purchasing a print collection: http://www.lulu.com/shop/austin-hamblin/100-days/paperback/product-23916414.html
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