Sunday, July 3, 2016

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2007. Mattie was proudly wearing the t-shirt we got him on our trip to Amish Country in Pennsylvania (the month before this photo was taken). But I snapped this photo because I loved the bond between Mattie and Patches. Patches was a very independent sort, did not really like to be touched or petted, but yet she was the best family pet. Very devoted to all of us in her own way! She was extremely bright and knew right away when we brought Mattie home from the hospital after he was born, that she had to be on good behavior with him. I NEVER had to train Patches around Mattie! She just got it right from the beginning, even when he would pull her tail as a toddler. She put up with it, and of course we explained to Mattie that he had to treat Patches nicely. He learned quickly and became a fierce advocate for Patches. If he had a friend come over who wasn't familiar with cats, Mattie would give a tutorial on how to interact with Patches. It was darling to watch. 


Quote of the day: What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~ Charles Dickens

Today we drove to Ellicott City in Maryland, which is about an hour away from where we live, to visit Hazel the cat. Hazel is a cat up for adoption through City Kitties. Hazel is living in a foster care home right now, until she is adopted. So the beauty of City Kitties is their adoptable cats are not caged. 

Hazel has been living in her foster home since February! Now five months later, we learned that NO ONE other than us has come to look at Hazel. Others were interested in her but they did not want to make the car trip to Ellicott City to visit her. Which is a shame because she is a delightful cat, very sweet, curious, and clearly wants affection. Prior to foster care, Hazel spent her first year of life locked in a cage and rather neglected. So it is clear that she is anxious, fearful of people, and prefers being in tight spaces, which makes her feel safe. 

Here is her Facebook description:

At first glance, Hazel is a dark chocolate brownie with Reese’s Pieces. Best of all, she’s every bit as sweet and full of character as she looks. Hazel just lives to be your after-work treat, greeting you with a chirp-like meow and shaking her tail like a maraca. She’ll play with your shoelaces while you settle in, and follow you to the couch for some Netflix and chill lap-time. If you’re busy cooking or at work, Hazel goes into adventure mode, exploring your closet, climbing on a cat tree, and picking out her favorite toys. She's as clever as she is curious, and will play seek if you hide her toys. Hazel is perfectly content to play by herself till you’re ready to play, or she’ll just curl up near a window to watch birds.

This is a close up of Hazel. However, Peter and I have decided to change her name to "Indie." Why? Because we made a decision to adopt her on Independence Day weekend. So she will always be our Independence Puss, or Indie for short!

Indie has beautiful markings and is clearly a tortoise shell type breed. 

What you can't tell here are her amazingly green jade-like eyes! They captivate you as soon as you see her. 

After meeting and playing with Hazel/Indie, we then went for lunch in Columbia, Maryland before heading home. We love the Clyde's food group, so we visited their restaurant in Columbia. A first for us. The restaurant sits overlooking this lovely Lake. 

Later today, we went to Pet Smart to start getting supplies for Sunshine (nickname: Sunny) the dog, who we pick up on July 16. It will be an interesting transition for all of us, since Sunny is coming directly from a shelter in South Carolina. He hasn't been socialized to living in a home, like Indie the cat. 

This is the new arrangement we set up for Indie. She will be sitting near me as I work. We figured she loves looking outside and also likes tight and cozy spaces. This seems ideal! Patches used to love being perched by this window. We never had this type of cat tree for Patches upstairs, but I know she would have LOVED it!