Purr-fection
January 17, 2008 – 2:56 pmAbout three years ago, I decided to get a pet for the first time in my life. Believe it or not, it was a big decision for me. Having lived in a condo in one of the busiest cities in the world probably had a huge role in growing up without pets. I was never introduced to the concept of owning and taking care of a living being, not even fish. Not one little fish! So, why did I decide to own a pet all of a sudden? Well, my husband, Paul is the culprit. He implanted seeds of love for cats in me.
I remember it was a beautiful sunny day in Dallas. After visiting 5 animal shelters all over town in one day, we were exhausted and a bit disappointed. But I was determined to find “the cat” for me. So, we went to one last animal shelter far in the south side of Arlington. As soon as I walked in, I saw a pair of amber eyes looking at me with the warmest stare. He was skinny, had crisp white hair with orange tabby patches on his tail and on top of his head. I had mentioned to Paul numerous times before, I wasn’t looking for an orange tabby cat. Naturally, he quickly dismissed my interest in this beautiful cat. He started pointing to some other cats to get my attention, but I was interested in just one.
Name tag said “Tanto”. What a terrible name, I thought. I opened the cage, grabbed him gently and put him over my shoulder. To my surprise, he didn’t resist a single bit. He was purring so loud. At that moment, I looked at Paul and said “This is the one.” That day I got my first pet, “Oscar”.
It’s a sweet little memory. I truly believe, if you don’t give up searching, you will find what you’re looking for.