When my beloved 14 year-old cat went over the "rainbow bridge" at the end of February, she was very ill; and as many told me, it was for the best. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried for weeks over her. Every little thing reminded me of funny things she would do. It was pure torture, and I knew that I would never get over my loss.
I had told myself that I wouldn't even consider another pet, even though I was taking my cat's death so hard. I felt I needed time to grieve, and I'd know when the time was right to start looking. Then something happened that, although it was probably a coincidence, who knows? Some people say there are no coincidences, but after this, I don' think I agree.
A neighbor of mine happened to tell me one day that her twin had finally decided to go into an assisted living facility. I knew her because I had acted as a caregiver for her for two weeks the previous summer when she had been recovering from surgery. I also knew she had a wonderful cat who I had played with and cared for, too, and immediately asked what had happened to him. She told me he was taken to a shelter and did not know if he was still there or not.
After hearing this, I went online and got in touch with the shelter. He was still there. I immediately filled out an application, and within a few days, I brought home my new companion, ready or not.
I think he remembered me, but the combination of being in the shelter for several weeks and being taken to a new home unnerved him. He was sick for a few days and couldn't eat much. He also had diarrhea and vomited on the carpet. I knew it would take him some time to adjust, so I just kept telling him how special he was and how happy I was that he would be sharing my home.
He's been with me for about a month-and-a-half now, and I've noticed he seems lonely. I don't get home from work until between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m., so he has many hours by himself. Even though he has a whole bedroom filled with toys and other toys scattered throughout the house, he seems bored and rarely plays with them, unless I play, too. He is used to his former owner being with him 24/7, so his situation now is quite different from what he was used to.
For the past few weeks, since I went on 10 hour days at work, I have been giving serious consideration to finding a companion for my pet. He seems contented enough when I'm home, but when I'm gone all day, he is waiting in the window for me as I approach the front door, and it makes me feel guilty.
I feel sad to think he is lonely, and I've been looking on various websites in an effort to find another cat that would be a good friend to him. There are so many out there, it's hard to narrow it down. Also, the cost is a consideration. I want to rescue an animal, not buy one from a pet shop or breeder, but even the shelters charge anywhere from $100 up. Then, depending on where they are transported from, the cost can be even higher.
I mentioned all of this in an email to my daughter who lives a state away from me. Coincidentally, she said that she has been seeing two cats in her rural neighborhood recently, and they do not travel together all the time. She said she thinks the one who has come to her house for food is a young female with pretty gray and white fur. She is going to try to befriend her and gain her trust because she is sure she is homeless, as are some dogs who appear near her home now and then. She also told me that the shelters in her area do kill animals after a short waiting period, and many people are turning them in because of the hard economic times, so more are being killed than ever before.
Because I don't get to go to my daughter's house very often, I've been keeping my eyes open here. Today when I was driving out of my neighborhood to go to work, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a very skinny black cat that was stalking a bird that had just flown into a small tree. Obviously, he was hungry.
I'm hoping I'll see him again and I'm thinking of putting some food out for him. He didn't have a collar and looked as though he needed a home. I would love to rescue him, so Farley will have a new friend.
At this point, I am excited about the possibility of finding a companion for my boy. Only time will tell who will become his new friend, but no matter who it is, I think finding a companion for him is meant to be.