New Cat on the Block

There's a new cat in town, and his name is Oscar.

Sorry it's a little blurry, but he's still in that always-on-the-move stage.

After a month and a half of living cat-free for the first time in nearly twenty years, I decided I couldn't take it any longer.  Yesterday, Kiddo and I went over to Greenville County Animal Shelter to see if we could find a new feline family member.  This was my first visit to GCAS, and I was really impressed (understatement.)  The facility was spotless and modern.  And most importantly, the staff was wonderful.  I have never been to a pet rescue facility where the staff was so invested in the well-being of the animals.

My fuzzy red blanket has magical cat-attracting properties.

So, back to yesterday.  We arrived at the shelter and headed into the cat building and followed the little blue paw prints to the adoptable cats.  I'm not sure if they had any kittens because we were looking at adult cats only.  Adults are much more difficult to re-home, but they make wonderful family members.  If you're thinking about getting a cat, please consider adopting an adult kitty.  (End of commercial.  And no Sarah McLachlan songs.  You're welcome.)  Every few minutes somebody was offering to help us as we met so many beautiful cats.  I finally called my husband (who works very nearby) to come and help with the search.  It wasn't until he arrived that we found Oscar.  Search over.

Is the coast clear? (Translation: Where's the dog?)

Oscar had been at the shelter since December, so long in fact, that some kind person had paid his adoption fee in hopes of increasing his chances for finding his forever home.  Everyone in the cat building was so visibly excited about the prospect of Oscar finding his forever home, that they nearly threw us a parade.  Seriously, as we walked out with him in the carrier, people were peeking in and asking, "Is that Oscar?" and then cheering.  It was so touching.  Also, for the record, we paid it forward with Oscar's adoption fees so that some other cat in need will benefit.  I didn't know this was something you could do, and I may have to go again soon and sponsor another cat's adoption fees because what a great thing to do for a homeless kitty!

He always dresses for dinner.

The original plan was to give Oscar a new name, but after hours of discussion and debate, nothing felt right.  We decided that we were overthinking it, and the reason we were having so much trouble was that he was just an Oscar.  So his name stands.  We're still learning about our new housemate, but here's what we know so far:  He's an adult male cat of unknown age, though if I had to guess, I'd say three or four.  He's very cautious but not fearful.  He's crazy curious.  And most importantly, he seems to be able to hold his own against the Big Dog.  (Not that Sam would do anything more than sniff him, but Oscar made it very clear to Sam that he was not okay with that.)

So what has Oscar been up to since his arrival yesterday afternoon?  Well, aside from biding his time under our bed, he's done significant exploring, including a middle-of-the-night excursion across our pillows, pausing for a quick pat and scratch.  I also caught him unrolling the toilet paper in our bathroom.  When I called him on it, he poked his head around the door as if to say, "Who me?"  He thoroughly investigated Kiddo's room and bed and has now claimed the landing at the top of the stairs as his own personal perch.  Oh, and did I mention how much he loves my fuzzy, red blanket?

There was some kneading going on shortly after/before this photo was taken.

Just now, Oscar is enjoying a little peace and quiet before my husband and Kiddo return with groceries and lots of new cat toys and treats.  Perhaps I should warn him.  Or maybe he already knows and is conserving his energy for the catnip-laced toy orgy that is about to ensue.  I'm battening down the hatches.