Oh Bast, what have I done?
I looked at some pictures from a local shelter and saw one I thought might a good companion for Lori. Same age, same size, same weight. The description said she was used to people and other cats. Her shelter name was "Harvest".
The shelter has a cat cam for the common area where good kitties can hang out together. She was in there.
So I decided to go take a look. Busy place, but I was guided to the common area to see if Harvest was still available. When I say "busy", I mean they weren't even sure.
Took a while to find her. She was hiding in a sheltered spot. I did eventually get her out and she clawed me to get away! Uh uh, I've just been down that road of troubled cats. I did not adopt her.
But I did sit down on the floor to see actually did like me. Two cats came right over and sat on my lap. One was orange/white ("Pumpkin") and the other a solid black ("Binq"). I couldn't tell gender. But they sure seemed to like me.
So I went back to the front desk to get more info about them. Pumpkin is male and maybe 6 years old and lived with other cats. Binq is female and they didn't know much about her. Just that Binq came from a surprise litter and the owners said "we have too many". She is Lori's age.
But the shelter person directed me to the cage room. Such sad cats, and many called out to me. But I felt little connection. Don't get me wrong. Just that nothing said "I'm the One". I felt so sad for all of them. Oh damn, never visit a cat shelter unless you have a firm will. And there were all those poor (deafeningly) barking dogs... We have to find another way to care for "extra" pets.
So I returned to the common cat room. Pumpkin and Binq both immediately rushed over to me when I sat down on the floor. None of the others did.
I want to mention that the lady who was selling Marley had me and a family both interested in him. Marley didn't relate to them. When I arrived the next day, he came right over and sat on my lap while I sat on the floor. She immediately said "He's yours". I accepted him unhesitatingly. I even kept her name for him. "Marley" sounded pretty cool.
So how cats react when I sit on the floor matters. But I wasn't looking for another orange/white male cat. Or a black cat either. But damn, they both liked me so much!
Guess who has 2 new cats?
I have The Mews Room set up with a litter box in one corner and food/water in the opposite. I will keep them there (they obviously got along on my lap and in the common room). There are toys and a turbotrack and the old platform tree there as well.
They will be learning the smells and sounds of their new Forever Home (assuming they can get along with Marley and Lori and me). I expect they will. I have taken some pictures, but haven't processed them yet.
"When one door closes, another door opens". Please send us your best purrs that this door stays open and that the new ones fit in.
I am thinking of names. "Binq" seems unusual enough. But I'll give it a couple days. They won't mind...