Saturday, September 20, 2008

getting lucky

No, I have not decided to try to garner an "X" rating for my blog.

Lucky just happens to be the name of the newest member of our happy little family.

See, Maxwell, despite all parental desires to keep him from growing up, seems determined to hit that six-year-old mark. Yes, this he shall do come Wednesday. And well, let's face it, turning 6 deserves a really special present, doesn't it? (And for logistical reasons, Max got to open his special present a few days early.)



What kid wouldn't be thrilled with a cat toy, right? Yeah, it didn't fool him for a second either. After he opened his mouse-on-a-string, it was off to the Lollypop Farm, the local animal shelter. They are so wonderful there, as we learned back when we adopted Baker. They take infinite care to make sure that pet and family are a good match. After talking about your family--kids, other pets, special needs, etc.--they help steer you to the animals who would most likely mesh well into their new family. Max, of course, was the one who got to choose which cats he wanted to meet. (They have little "meet-and-greet" rooms where they bring in the cat or dog to interact with their potential adopters.) Max immediately fell in love with Lucky. The woman thought he might be a good match, so she brought him in, and Max's dream came true. Lucky was immediately as taken with Max as Max was with Lucky. In fact, Lucky was so instantly comfortable with all of us that we knew it was meant to be! The woman said she fully expected to have to bring in five or six cats before finding one that would be even half as receptive as Lucky was. Face it, being plunged into a little room with 5 complete strangers must be unnerving. But you'd have never known it to see Lucky. He rubbed up against all of us, rolled over playfully on the floor, and let all the kids hold him.




You know those times in life that you just have to think, "What on Earth did I do to get so lucky?!!" Well, this is definitely one of those times! (And there was no pun intended...it just seems hard to avoid.)















As for Aldo and Baker, the jury's still out. Lucky is to stay quarantined in our room for 4 or 5 days before mingling. Both for "getting used to" purposes and because he's recovering from a case of kitty pink eye. They do, of course, know of one another's existence, but how the face-to-face will go remains to be seen.

So, if I were listing the good stuff for today, I would definitely have to top that list with a sweet, undeniably affectionate, playful bundle of black and white fur, who in no time stole the hearts of this family.

21 comments:

kreed said...

Another family member! Awesome! I am sure Max is just thrilled to pieces to have his "own" cat!

I haven't gotten Max's present in the mail yet, so I am sure it will be late. But it is coming!

Anonymous said...

Pets are just such a gift. I am so happy that you found a new addition to your family. Hopefully the rest of the clan will adjust quickly.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

Happy birthday Max!! And Lucky is beautiful (although, I do have so say that he looks a little like my Maggie--except her black markings don't start until her "forehead"). I'm sure the rest of the pets will adjust quickly--I've heard it's easier to introduce a male cat than a female??

Ana S. said...

Ooooh, a new cat! :D And he's so pretty!

Max must be so happy! And everyone else too, of course. I know the feeling very well, the moment when you realize you've connected with an animal. It's wonderful. And somehow I think it's a bit more satisfying when it happens with cats. Not that I don't adore dogs, but it's harder for it to happen with cats, as they they tend to be more reserved. So winning them over is especially wonderful :)

I hope Aldo and Baker adjust to him fast!

Anonymous said...

Awww, sweeet!! What a great birthday present :)

Jean said...

Happy Birthday to Max! And welcome to Lucky! Adventures will follow, I am sure!

Thoughts of Joy said...

Welcome to the family, Lucky! And, a BIG Happy Birthday to Max!

Anonymous said...

HOW SWEET!!! :-D Love how you did that...with the cat toy. Too cute.

Happy Birthday!!

Megan said...

Congratulations on your new kitty - it sounds just like it was meant to be! And a happy birthday to Max, too! =)

Eva said...

What generous parents you are! I hope the other cats adjust quickly; my sister got a male kitten when my cat was around 3, and he had to live in the (large) upstairs bathroom for two or three weeks before my cat would stop hissing every time she passed the door.

Jean said...

How about a cat quote?

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness! Lucky is beautiful, and what a lucky little boy is Max. How special!!

Dawn said...

Congratulations on getting Lucky. I, too, got Lucky this past summer. (That's what Tim named his fish LOL!).

I hope you all enjoy your newest family member. He's a nice looking cat!

take care,
Dawn

Nola said...

Happy Birthday to Max. Congrats on the new member of the family. It is great that you adopted, you literally saved the kitty's life!
This is my first visit, I hopped on over from Dawn's blog; I try to visit a new blog or 2 every day!

chrisa511 said...

Congrats on the newest edition to the family Debi :) He's beautiful...I love those eyes! When I saw the title of this post I truly had to laugh...that'll be a joke in the family for awhile, huh? I remember getting my old dog for my birthday one year and it truly is the best gift I've ever gotten I think. Tell Max happy birthday for me!

Medbie said...

YAY! Congrats to all of you!

Melody said...

A new member!! How exciting!
Happy Birthday to Max!!! :D

Jennifer said...

Congrats on finding such a great fit in a cat. Yay for Max. And Lucky ia blessed to have such a great family. He's beautiful too!

Dewey said...

Aw, Lucky is so pretty! I love black and white cats. And happy belated birthday to Max.

Kim L said...

Congratulations on your new addition! What a cute cat. And so great that the personalities meshed right away. Very lucky indeed!

CJ said...

Lucky is adorable! And you're right - when it's right, you know it. BTW, Lucky looks a lot like my Max, except Max is the brown version instead of the black!

cjh