Two years ago, my little Ginger crossed the bridge at 16 years. After a month of there being just me and my tortie Jasmine, I decided it was time for a friend for her. I tend to lean toward older kitties because they are the ones most often ignored. Walking into my local pet store to get food for Jasmine, to my right are a whole bunch of kittens waiting to be adopted. I was about to leave the area when in the back, I see a larger gray shorthair tabby taking it all in. He's not a bit cowed by the noise and all the kids playing with kittens, but he's certainly wanting some of that attention for himself. He rubbed against my hand and that sealed the deal. He came home with me. His foster mom had named him Charming because she said he was a very loving kitty. When I got him inside the house, I opened the carrier and Jasmine came to see what was happening. It was obvious neither was impressed, but Charming walked out of the carrier past Jasmine and acted like this had been his home forever. It became very apparent that he was not always Charming, but could be when the mood struck him. I named him Mr. Gray because he was very friendly to everyone. As soon as the doorbell rang, he was at the door welcoming whomever. He would jump on any visitor's lap whether they wanted him or not. But, I had to swaddle him (including his head) just to clip his claws. He can be a bit of a bully if he's displeased about something and he will bite at a moment's notice. On the other side, he will sit on my lap and head butt me while he's being brushed (something he loves). A month ago, he stopped eating and wasn't his usual ornery self, so off to the vet we go. Seems he's allergic to something in the plastic dishes that held their water and food. Out of the 9 cats I've had, this is a first, but now we have all ceramic bowls and no more bottled water. After a mega shot of Prednisone, he will be on L-lysine for the rest of his life, but he is getting better slowly and is back to his ornery self again - irritating Jasmine and me daily. He's a pain but he's also a delight and I have zero regrets about adopting this kitty who had been rescued as a stray.

Linda T
CHANDLER, AZ