His name is Desmond and he is the biggest cat I've ever seen. He must weigh 20 pounds. He's 3 years old and his owner doesn't want him. She says they've never "bonded", that she's keeping her old kitty but she wants to find a good home for Desmond. There was a whole lot of subtext in our conversation. Her husband has already moved, he has an apartment, but "some apartments only allow one cat." She didn't say the apartment to which she's moving allows only one cat. "And, then there's the deposit money." She doesn't think he's worth a deposit. Sheesh.
If he ever comes out from under the futon, I guess we'll see if he's a good fit for our family, but the guys already want him. They think Desmond's mama is icky for wanting to ditch him, whether she cares about who ends up with him or not. I tend to agree. It's not what I expected. I thought I'd get tiny sibling kittens and I came home with a 6-month-old Fiona. I said I didn't want older kitties and I may end up with a 3-year-old cat. My husband shrugs. "He needs us. But, we may have to change that name."
Addendum: I've just drawn the names for my Sterling Kids Giveaway and the winners will be contacted privately. I don't feel like dedicating a post to the drawing, so I'll stick the winners' names in the sidebar.
aww, sweet!
ReplyDeleteBut you can't change the name - Desmond is one of the most awesome characters on Lost! really awesome.
Poor Desmond. I think your hubby is right - he needs you.
ReplyDeleteThis cat is so cute. Desmond seems to fit him. Such a gorgeous cat!
ReplyDeleteRaidergirl,
ReplyDeleteThat's who Desmond was named after! And, we don't watch LOST, so . . . we'll see. ;)
Kathy,
Yeah. I hope he'll settle in and be willing to take us all on, but at this point he is terrified of Fiona. We lured him out with a dish of food and he ate a couple of bites, hissed at Fiona and dashed back under the futon. I did pick him up for a minute and he is one snuggly cat. I really hope Desmond and Fi will get along. Fingers crossed!!!
Krista,
ReplyDeleteI think the name fits, too. He's soooo big. Gorgeous, but . . . wow, is he big. I'm going to need to do some weight-lifting if I want to carry that cat anywhere.
Kudos to you, and poor Desmond. That's how we ended up with the first cat I can remember my family having (not the first cat we ever had, but I was too young to remember any others) - she was about the same age, and her people wanted her more outgoing brother more than they wanted her. Once she relaxed and got over her shyness, she was wonderful! I hope things work out as well for you.
ReplyDeleteMax and Maddie did their share of hissing and hassling until they settled things between them. Just give them the space to do it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with hubby - he needs you!
cjh
Library Girl,
ReplyDeleteI must admit it totally ticks me off that people do that with animals, but if Desmond is willing to stay with us, we're happy to take him on. He seems really sweet, just terrified -- not surprising. I picked him up for a little bit and he's quite the cuddle bunny. He's so heavy I couldn't breathe walking with him in my arms, though. Sheesh, out of shape! LOL
CJ,
ReplyDeleteFiona is stalking Desmond just a little -- she's curious, but not offended by him, near as I can tell, which seems like a good sign. We've got him for at least a couple of days and we'll see how it goes. Some kitties take longer to adjust than others, but my husband reminded me that when we took Miss Spooky to Oklahoma because we had to get there urgently and couldn't board her, she started out hiding under furniture and was jumping into bed with my in-laws within a pretty short time.
There are a lot of cats that need me. I wish I had a huge house so I could take on a few more.
That is a very large cat! He looks spooked, there under your futon. I do hope he realizes he's in a good home and get brave enough to come out- it sounds like he's been neglected, poor kitty!
ReplyDeleteJeane,
ReplyDeleteDesmond's humongous! Huz is calling him "Catzilla". He's emerged, finally, and he is one lovable guy. I think he's been ignored a bit - cared for, but not necessarily given the attention he needs and deserves. I don't know who takes care of Desmond when his mommy travels, but she has been on business and she's heading right back out, tomorrow, so I kind of wonder if he's spent a lot of time just milling about in a big old house, alone with another cat. That's what it sounds like. He's taken a shine to Kiddo. He'll be very happy if he decides to quit hissing at Fiona and move in for good. :)
Desmond is gorgeous. Poor kitty! I do hope he fits into your household so you can keep him.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I brought Anya home, how my older cat, Parker, didn't much care for her. It took a while for them to get used to each other, but they eventually did. I think Parker still misses those pre-Anya days sometimes though.
It still amazes me how much those cats love our dog. They both took to him quickly. He still acts like an only child though. LOL
I think Desmond is jolly lucky to find a family that likes him already.
ReplyDeleteDesmond looks sweet. Man, I've never understood people who can get rid of a pet once they've got them. I bond the second I hold a pet even when it's not mine. I hope he'll be a good fit for you guys.
ReplyDeleteOn first look, the first dog my mom ever let me have growing up was all the wrong things. All the things we thought wouldn't work or weren't the right fit. She was scraggly, older, etc. etc. She turned out to be the best dog EVER, so it's funny how they find us sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI hope Desmond/ToBeRenamed is a gem once he emerges from under the futon. :)
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteHe's a lovely animal. He's just so big it seems like he fills the house!
So far, the cats are getting along okay. They boxed a little, last night, but no claws came out. It was just friendly tussling. Mostly, they're giving each other a wide berth, at this point.
Our Spooky was never thrilled with having a second cat around and seemed to appreciate being an only cat when Sunshine died. I can understand what you're saying about Parker longing for the pre-Anya days.
Mystica,
Thanks. Desmond spent the night with my teenager and Kiddo said he was "peaceful". I don't think I could hand him back to his owner if I wanted to, now. The guys are completely convinced he's ours.
Dar,
He's a very sweet boy -- kind of a big baby. Yeah, I don't get that, either. There appears to be no reason at all for his owner to get rid of him. She just doesn't want him. We're apparently at least his third home. Poor fellow. He just needs to be loved. Fortunately, my teenager is crazy about him and Desmond took an instant shine to Kiddo.
I think I'm a little intimidated by Desmond's size and his thick fur (I hoped to get another cat with really short hair) but whatever. All 5 of us were in the living room, playing with ribbons and lasers, last night, and I had the sense that our family was complete, again. That's a great feeling.
Andi,
I kind of feel that way -- he's too big, he's a little whiny. And, yet Desmond is an awfully sweet cat (he came out from under the futon, after a few hours). The kitties aren't playing with each other, apart from a little boxing at each other, last night, but they're not hissing at each other, either. Poor Desmond. I think he just needs a nice, stable forever home.
He is an attractive boy and I would never give him back to his owner-who knows what she would do with him-bless your heart for taking him in. Every pet deserves a home that loves them.
ReplyDeleteAw, it does sound like he needs you. Fingers crossed that he gets used to Fiona before too long.
ReplyDeleteEsme,
ReplyDeleteHis owner said she was looking into only no-kill shelters or rescues, but the bottom line is that she wants to get rid of Desmond. We'll see. At this point, Fiona seems very unhappy. She's a high-energy girl and when I try to play with her, he gets in the middle of it. She either retreats or goes after him.
We're getting out the teeth and claws, now. If he's in any danger (he's declawed), I'll send him back but we're in wait and see mode. My son is crazy about him and I think the only way we'll let Desmond leave is if we think Fi can't cope with him.
Nymeth,
He needs a family that's willing to love him, that's for sure. The current owner told me she's got a friend living with her to help out while she tries to sell her house, so that means at least the kitties have had someone around to feed and talk to them while she's away on business -- she seems to travel a lot. Fiona and Desmond are not getting along, at this point. We'll see!
Awww poor Desmond! Best I can tell, he's a cutie! I hope he starts feeling comfortable soon!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you! I can't wait to get the books and read them with the kids!!
Heather,
ReplyDeleteDesmond's a handsome cat and really just a big old teddy bear. I'm hoping he and Fi will start getting along, soon, so we can keep him. I just want to make sure they can stand each other before committing.
You're welcome!! I'm so glad you were one of my winners!!!! I know you'll put those books to good use. Sterling books are great. I need to read some to Desmond before I do a Children's Day post. He seems to like it when I read to him!
Awww - I hope Desmond and Fiona can get along. It should help that he's used to having a second cat in the family and she's so young. Hopefully she'll soon charm her Uncle Desmond into settling in comfortably.
ReplyDeleteSuziQ,
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good. No fierce fights. I had to crate Desmond for a short time when he leapt upon Fiona, but I read him a fairy tale and he came out of prison very relaxed. Hmm, Uncle Desmond. I like. "Say hello to your sweet Uncle Desmond," sounds better than, "Okay, this guy's your new brother. Get along."
Awww..I loved this picture. I hope he fits into your family well. Life works in unexpected ways, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteSamantha,
ReplyDeleteHe's a beautiful boy. Unfortunately, last night was a disaster. The cats fought all night. When they weren't tussling, Desmond was crying. We all decided through bleary eyes that Fiona needs to be an only cat, this morning.
Oh, sad. I hope he finds a nice forever home. So The Cat Can't Stay was apropos?
ReplyDeleteJust stopping by to say Hi!
Carrie!!
ReplyDeleteAlways thrilled to see you! Yes, I guess the cat book title fit in an unexpected way. I hope he finds a good forever home, too. Desmond is a really sweet kitty; he just needs a lot of attention and our little Fiona said, "Not here. No way." She's still recovering from her furreigner experience. Actually, we all are. It was a long night.