Here, kitty, kitty, kitty

It's 3AM. I have to get up at 7 if I want to squeak in a walk before work. I'm dreaming of tropical isles and scantily-clad men. And then I hear it.

MMMRRRRRRWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW

The sound of kitty in the meat grinder. Is something wrong? Did Willy get his paw caught in the Roman shade while pawing at the "outside" cat on the other side of the door? Is he writhing in pain on the floor? Is he trying to deliver a Lassie-esque message about poor little Timmy and the trouble he's in?

Hell, no! He's lonely.

Again.


This all started about a month ago when the "outside" cats stopped hanging around every night. Back in Spetember, a neighbor moved and left their cats behind. Willy has never played with these cats in person, he's just pawed at them through the glass of my patio door. They used to hang around day and night and now only come around occasionally. First, I caught Willy looking out the window for them. Then the meowing started.

See, Willy used to have a sister named Hillary. Well, a half-sister. Daddy was quite the stud with the ladies. Willy is the offspring of Bonjo and Momma Cat and Hillary was the child of Bonjo and Missy. They were born a couple of weeks apart in Spring, 1992. They are Scottish Folds, a breed where the ears of some kittens fold back. Both Willy and Hillary had "peaked" (ie, normal) ears, so they were less desirable to fanciers of Scottish Folds. Since no one wanted one, let alone two, peaked-ear Folds, they were never sold. I adopted them when they were three years old.

Willy and Hillary used to play in the wee-wee hours by chasing each other around the house. Up the stairs, around the rooms, down the stairs and on and on. Hillary passed away a couple of years ago and, over time, Willy began to relish only cat-hood. Once the outdoor cats arrived on and then vanished from the scene, he started acting lonely. When he meows (did I mention at 3AM?) and I get up, he starts running around, as if he wants to be chased. Although it is encouraging that he's still running around at the age of 15, I sure as hell am not going to chase him at 3AM. So, I'm looking for a pet for Willy.

The "outside" cats are out...I read an article that claimed 40% of street cats have FIV and/or Feline Leukemia. I'm not sure how he will take to an adult cat, anyway, so I am on the lookout for a kitten. Although I had considered buying a Scottish Fold, JeSais, my parents, my co-workers, and most anyone else I talked to have convinced me to adopt a shelter kitty. So, the search is on. A kitten for Willy and Stack. Let's just hope it likes to play at 3AM.

As for Timmy, if he's out there (and not too little), I'll get him into some trouble he'll want Lassie to keep quiet about.