News with Richard Bleil
Today is a special day. One year ago today (as of the writing of this, so last week) is the one year anniversary of a friendship, partnership and roommate star, Star. Yes, indeed, on January 2, 2021, I adopted my feline friend Star from the Nebraska Humane Society.
Knowing that adult cats are unlikely to be adopted, and that black cats used to be hunted down and killed (and are still considered to be bad luck even today), I specifically was seeking an adult black cat. My former cat, Sir Purrsalot, was a male stray who adopted me, so this was a little bit different. It wasn’t easy adopting her. In the midst of the pandemic, there were special protocols and restrictions to visit the Humane Society, requiring an appointment (and there was quite the wait to get one), and limiting the visit to a maximum of three potential adoptions. I was shocked when they gave me an appointment so close to New Year’s Eve, but had nothing special planned, so I took it.
Star wasn’t so sure about me at first. She wouldn’t even let me pick her up, but she was purrfect. Well, overweight, but still exactly what I had hoped for. They put her in my carrier, which she also hated, and off to the checkout. Yes, checkout. Because of Covid, there was only one. I had to pay for the tags and a couple of fees but still cheap. I picked up a couple of other things, like special weight control food which, frankly, hasn’t worked. And we stood there, behind a single person in front of me. I don’t know what the deal was, but she took a very long time. I was hot and sweating just because their heat was turned up too high (probably for the pets), and Star was exceptionally unhappy and made no secret of the fact that she really didn’t want to be in that carrier.
Finally, we got home. It took her a couple of weeks to decide that this is, indeed, her home, but today she is very cozy. She knows the routine, when she gets her wet food (which could be one reason why she is not losing weight), when we go to bed although, of late, she sleeps near me but not in the same bed. I don’t know, maybe I fart. It wouldn’t surprise me with my diet. But, when I sit, she loves to be on my lap, and if I lay on the couch she always wants to sleep on my chest.
It’s SO cute!
Okay, sorry. But that’s Star. She didn’t get along with Mooch (who has been missing for at least a couple of weeks as I am writing this, and I’m hoping he’s okay and just found another family). She was so mean to Mooch, which surprised me since she always loved looking at him through the window. Well, maybe it was one of those romances that was perfect from a distance, but up close was just, well, no.
She doesn’t do a lot of cat like things. She never intentionally knocked anything over or off of a shelf. Until recently, she never like boxes. I never saw her play with or sleep in a box until just a few weeks ago. She enjoyed the box that came with padding and slept in it for about a week. Now, she is again not sleeping in it. She does walk on keyboards.
Cats are hardly masculine, but she’s a good friend. As the unofficial loneliest guy in the world (although I do have a bid in with Guinness; not the records people, but the beer) a cat is a good friend. They’ll want to play with you and let you pet them if they trust you (as she does), and as an aspiring comedian, I can leave her here alone for a few days if I manage to pull off a miracle, uh, I mean, land a gig.
Star’s history suggests that she doesn’t do well with dogs. She seems to enjoy the sedimentary lifestyle, free of canines, other felines and, please, for the love of God, no kids. I have to admit, though, I would very much like to adopt a dog, but that might have to wait until later in my life when I’m not trying to make people laugh at me. Besides, currently, she is looking at me with longing eyes wondering when this stupid laptop will be gone from her human’s lap. Seeing as she’s about to make it nearly impossible to type anymore, let me just sayhoqwilaerau4yh
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