Cat Naps

My girls came over today to celebrate Anna’s pregnancy and to gawk at my new addition. We made lunch that consisted of an amazing potato and meat casserole that Anna made, a batch of strawberry chocolate brownies, and a fruity drink (non-alcoholic) to toast Anna and Theo’s happiness. The drinks were actually really good, Elise made them from a recipe she found online. They were made from ginger ale, blackberry grenadine, cherry grenadine, and had lemon juice mixed in, I think we had about three pitchers each.

After awhile the four of us ended up sitting in my living room looking at the black and white ball of fluff currently lounging in a blue and green oval bed in silence.

“Have you picked a name yet?” Elise said eyeing it with ambivalence.

“I have one in mind but I’m not sure yet.” I said shrugging my shoulders.

Suddenly the ball stirred and all of us leaned forward. It stopped.

“Why isn’t it doing anything?” Zoey said raising an eyebrow.

“The vet said he would need a lot of rest with all of the medicines he had to be put on.” I said, “He told me that he should start being more active once he gets better.”

“How old is he?” Anna said crossing her legs in the armchair.

“Two.”

“How did you end up with him?” Elise said with disdain, she never was an animal person.

“I told you, I was looking at a few websites and came across a nearby animal shelter’s that listed him on it. They said he needed a good and loving home, so I filed the paperwork yesterday.”

“Why is he so sick?” Zoey said tilting her head.

“The vet thinks he’s been abused for most of his life, but his illness is because they found him in a bag near the river. He was hypothermic and really underweight. When they found him he was too thin to handle the medications so they had to give him steroids to make him grow faster while giving him the medications. They think he’s going to live but it’s still kind of hairy. I just have to monitor him really well.”

“Why did you adopt a cat that might not even live?” Anna asked.

“Because….I felt sorry for the little guy. The vet said he’d been abused since he was born; the least I could do was give him a good home free of abuse for the last few weeks of it. But regardless, they think he’s going to make it and I’m falling in love already.”

My apartment was dotted with feathery toys and other cat-like objects. I went on a shopping spree as soon as the shelter told me I could bring him home today. He has a comfy bed, which he was sleeping in and another bed that’s more like a hammock for cats and so many toys! I even bought him a blue and white cat dish with little stars on it. I have a feeling that we’re going to get along really well. He doesn’t do much right now but when I stroke him or touch him he starts purring and I swear I can see him smile. I hope he gets better soon; I’m trying to do my best to care for him.

I’ve decided to name him Murphy.