Sisters Once More

It's been months, but here we go...

After my bout with Strokedom and recovery, Whitney and I decided to get another cat. I felt so bad that little Josie Marie Cat was all alone for months at home. Yes, Whitney went home every day for social time and feedings, but poor Josie was alone most of the day. The neighbors even said they sometimes heard Josie meowing at the door. One of the best days in the hospital was when the staff allowed me to have Josie visit my room. It was so nice to see her again, After all, I raised her from a pre-teen and when she had her sister playmate.

When I was released from the hospital, and was endangered of being knocked over at home from a rambunctious cat, Whitney suggested, perhaps, Josie needed a sister again.

Josie's original sister was out of the question. I don't even know if she was still alive, her owner is known for not being responsible for caring for cats or other living creatures. Indeed, her own friends had bets on when she'd end up killing the kitten by mistake. It's been much too long too, and that kitten would have learned all kinds of unacceptable behaviors, possibly anti-social as well.

Now Josie wasn't the most sociable cat as well, and she was very territorial, with her panther like Bombay claws and copper, judging eyes. I didn't know if I wanted to live with the heartbreak of giving away an unwanted kitten because they couldn't get along. So I resisted the new cat proposal, but read volumes on cat behavior and how to introduce new family members into the family unit as painless as possible.

I also wanted Whitney to be a part of my family, and having us choose a new family member was good for her to, since she had no choice with Josephine (or "big Fatty").

So we scoured around for a kitten and visited Pet's Mart for litter-mates. Pet's Mart had us fill out an application with tons of personal details, financial proofs, skin samples, and vials of DNA, just to adopt a grown cat. Hell, they even needed our vet number to question him and then come to visit our home to see if we were worthy. I don't think child adoption is this complex. Even though we had a great environment, we were turned down. Denied! I mean, they should welcome us wanting to take home a full grown cat. We're obviously good, non-hoarding cat owners with a happy and healthy girl already...

Craigslist was next, and that was a travesty. With most people never responding, or just giving the cat to the first person to show up at their door. We finally saw one picture of a tiny kitten for $20. It was a little girl kitten that was colored like Bugs Bunny with the appropriate gray and white patches. With my background, it seemed like destiny. So , we contacted back and forth with the owners...Hoping the kitten wouldn't be given away again.

We could come that weekend to see the kitten! WE counted the days until then and got there a bit early. Before we went in, I told Whitney, "Remember, we're just looking, we discuss, and if it doesn't feel right, we wont get the kitten. Right?" In we walked, with me nervously fingering the $20 in my pocket. The house owner walked us into the hallway, then pointed to a small sleeping fur rollup on a cat tower, "...there she is..."

Whitney blurted out immediately, "We'll take her!"It was okay because, she won my heart. And she turned out to be free, the $20 charge online was to make sure we really wanted her. Next was the introduction to Josie...yikes. We placed Josie in the bathroom while we let the new kitten walk about, so her scent would become familiar, we rubbed a towel on the new girl and rubbed it on Josie. They were separated for a few days, just touching paws under a door, minor cat carrier visits, and lots of hissing from Josie. And then Whitney, always the impatient one, finally letting them meet without a cage or barricade between them. I was insanely nervous for their reaction.

Then I saw this, I needn't have worried...
And the Kitten was christen Jude (Judith) Rose. They run about, they play. eat, groom, and sleep together, or nearby. Josie is the moody one, and Jude is the Daddy's girl always seeking a pet or scratch. They share a big bucket of toys and have personal space places just like sisters need when they get on each others nerves. They even photo-bomb each other...And now, Lil' Jude (as in "Hey Jude") is almost an adult, on October 3rd, she's grown quite a bit and no longer a palmful. Josie no longer has the size and weight advantage and can't just sit on Jude...
We're just one big family and It's nice to have kitten sisters once again...

The Recoup Recap

Well, it's been quite a little while since I blogged. Trying to get back to where I was, and making ends meet since my job laid me off for daring to have a stroke on their time. It seems that juggling medications, disability, and life is just day to day complex. I'd rather have a job to be honest. Okay, a nice paying job with great cheep benefits, a hour lunch, and a masseuse, if I had a choice.

So, why didn't i blog since July? Typing is still a bit hard, and thank god for the spellchecker. Sometimes I press multiple letters. I don't know if i can explain how I feel, it's like my brain is trying to control someone Else's body, since I am continuing to rewire new synapses. Like playing your old Atari 2600 with that old broken joystick you can't quite make go left and the button is twitchy. I think that's a fair assessment, really. Walking is like doing a constant sobriety test, making sure all those automatic responses you've learned since being a baby is checked off for each step. It is like being a baby again, but thankfully without the diaper and the green mushy poo. Probably too much detail, huh?

My eyesight is still questionable, but I did expect that to be the last part to heal. People I meet from before are amazed I can walk and do things like I never lost any ability. And, people who don't know me think I'm just a lazy bastard when Whitney has to lift heavy things for us at the store, or get out of a parked handicapped labeled car with seemingly no problem. Oh, and the lens on my left glasses is so thick it can focus sunlight into a deadly orbital laser. Fear me, humans of Earth!

It's still weird when my left side goes to sleep, or my eyesight goes out a bit, or i loose tight control of a limb and i spill drinks, or can't open a jar I used to be able to. And, it does depress me, but then Whitney reminds me that I did have one of the worst strokes possible, and I bounced back in 5 months when other have been in wheelchairs for years and decades. I don't know what I would have done without her.

The things I've noticed since May? Many people are douches and park in handicapped spots because it's convenient and no one traffics the tags. how complex doing everything that was previously automatic really is. Baby kittens smell like baby powder until the first month, then they smell like a stinky cat. The type of shoes do matter. The movie "meet Dave" not only is like a stroke, but is so bad, it can induce one as well. Medications are friken expensive. Beatles Rockband is great therapy. I miss Conan O'brian. Jay Leno is an ass. Douchy guys think women find them attractive when they hawk a logie. If I didn't have a stroke I would have never been able to see every season of Law and Order SVU and CI. And, Food network, Pawn Stars, and TruTV are addicting.

Anyway, a heads up. And next time, it's news about the kitten sisters, speaking of smelly cats.

P.S. Thank you spellchecker again.