Never leave me alone in an animal shelter...

So, as you faithful readers know, we lost Bo to complications from feline leukemia a few weeks ago.  It was very sudden and shocking to go from a healthy cat to one that was so sick in a very short time period.

Well, since then Belle has enjoyed being an only cat and been VERY lonely.  She followed me around the house, demanded attention from anyone who would sit still, and talked a LOT.  She would get up from a nap, walk into the kitchen and just start her list of complaints.  The dog was no comfort.  So, I was determined to adopt a new cat as soon as possible.  First I needed to get Belle tested to make sure she was not also a carrier of the virus, I didn't want to take the chance of infecting another cat if she was.  So, I finally got up the courage to snag her and take her to the vet.

Let me stop now and say this is no small feat.  She has a sixth sense on you wanting to catch her and because of that will stay away from you during those times.  The days I have to snag her and carry her somewhere, usually end up with us locked in a bedroom and me stripping the room of everything she can hide under and around till I finally trap her and throw her in the cage.  Usually with some damage to me in the process, and her screaming the whole way about why she is unhappy.

Not to go into too many details, this time was not much different.  It was a cat and mouse game and I finally won, off we go in the carrier to the vet

on a side note, I am surprised people did not pull out of the way when we were driving there.  Sounded like a siren with how loud she was crying from the cage.

She got tested and it was negative (although we have learned a lot about how that test isn't exactly the most solid thing in the world) but we got her first vaccination (have to go back in a few weeks for another, oh joy) and then, and only then, once I thought it would be safe, I started looking.

I am an animal lover (shock, I know) and I don't believe in buying animals from breeders.  I knew I would save one from certain destruction from one of the shelters or adopt one from a local rescue society.  I started combing the listings on Petfinder and at the shelters.

I came across a female cat at the Lewisville Animal Shelter and she reminded me so much of Kitty I couldn't shake it.  I kept going back to her picture and posting, it broke my heart that she was an owner surrender.  I wasn't sure we were ready but I couldn't take the chance that she would be destroyed so Monday I went over to the shelter.  She was very sweet and shy and beautiful.  I knew she was going home with me.

Of course, the problem with me being in a animal shelter, is I have a hard time walking away from any of the cats there.  I walked over to a cage to talk to a very active kitten and, in the cage below, was an older kitten who reached out and begged me for some attention.  That was it...  I was hooked, he too was going home with me.

I was able to take the female home immediately as she had previously been spayed and had her rabies shot.  The male had neither and they won't let you take animals out of the shelter anymore without making those arrangements.

More to come later in the week on each of our new additions...