My Love For Animals Started Way Back When I was 2 Years Old

At  about 23 I got a white kitten and named it Christian. Didn’t know much about cats at that time, but I did like that little kitten. However, I worked too much and I remember coming home from working as a cocktail waitress late at night.  Christian was standing at the top of the stairs screaming at me she was so upset. I can still see her in my mind.  That summer I was running for Miss Saskatoon and I asked my mother if she would take care of Christian for me as I would be too busy and not home enough; but when I went home to my mom’s place I asked her where Christian was and she had given her away.  I couldn’t believe it,  my mother gave my cat away, how could she do that.  I know she thought the cat would be better on a farm.  I was so angry with her. I still remember that moment like it was yesterday.

This is my Joey cat, he’s been with me for 14 years ago now. Longer than any man has been. He was given to me by an ex-boyfriend, truly the best thing from that relationship.  Joey was a Christmas gift. Right after he was given to me Ed drove off to be with the woman he was cheating on me with LOL however, I didn’t know that at that time.

Joey was soooo tiny.  I fell in love with him instantly.  I didn’t know what to do with this little thing. For the  first time I understood how you could love something so much and it  was also the first time that I realized I could be a mother.  However when my mom found out she was so worried that if something happened to him I would be devastated.

I would take him with me to my parent’s place and mom fell in love with Joey.  He would go to her bed and play pop up with her and that made her laugh.  She had alzheimer’s which we didn’t know. I’m glad that Joey got a chance to make her laugh. The one thing my mom did hate was when I called Joey her grandchild oh god, she wanted me to have children but it wasn’t going to be a cat LMAO.

 Nine months later came Merritt. God it sounds like a pregnancy. I was going back to school fulltime and I didn’t want to leave Joey alone. I drove to the Saskatoon SPCA on a mission. With a carrying crate in hand I wanted  an orange cat, who I was going to call Pumpkin. I always wanted an orange cat.  I walk into the room where the cats were housed and there was a woman holding the only orange kitten saying to the volunteer that she will take it.  I remember screaming in my head NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I was left standing there looking around the room at the cages.  No more orange kitten/cats. I wasn’t coming home without a mate for Joey, but not one cat grabbed my attention.  Then all of a sudden, I tear up till this day, a paw comes out of the cage. They say animals choose you.  I say to the volunteer “What about this cat”? She tells me that Merritt was a teenager, he had caught a respiratory condition and she had fostered him herself.  She also told me that he was trained to walk with a leash.  She took him out of the cage and put him in my arms.  Lets put it this way, Merritt was not a cuddly cat LOL. He squirmed out of my arms and ran away. I took Merritt. He was put into the cat crate and I drove him home.  He now belonged to my family.

Now if you know anything about introducing cats to each other there is a method. Its a slow process.  I knew the process.  I brought Merritt into the house. Put the crate on the floor.  LOL open the door and let him out.  All hell broke loose.  Oh Merritt was fine. Joey began to cry.  He cried for hours.  I did not follow the protocol of introducing cats. Why? Not sure. Joey did not take it well.  I figured I made the biggest mistake of my life.  I called the SPCA and they told me that I could bring Merritt back if I needed to. Bedtime came Joey was still crying.

The next day I knew things would be OK when I saw the two of them licking each other. Now they are inseparable.  It took me a long time to teach Merritt about affection he didn’t know what affection was.  He still isn’t a really affectionate cat.  Joey, however, sleeps right next to me like a pillow.  Merritt, he’s my buddy and Joey’s my baby.

Merritt is Joey’s body guard and I’m not sure what will happen when one of them dies.