qmwillcand's Journal

Oliver and the SPCA
Nov 06 2009 17:46

Monday night

Got home from Oasis at 830, as we do every Monday evening. This one was different, though, as there was a kitty in our driveway, sitting there as if he were waiting for us. We had never seen him before (typically with strays, you see them hanging around off and on for a few weeks before they'll approach you), but we let him in the house for some food and water, then sent him on his way. We figured (and hoped) that he would mosey back on home.

Tuesday

He didn't mosey any further than underneath our shed. We let him in the kitchen while the kids were getting ready for school, so he could get warmed up a bit and have some food/water. He hung around inside the shed all the rest of the day. When I got home from work, I saw that the kids had set out a water and food bowl for him, and had made a kitty bed as well. He's very obviously a recent family pet as he is very friendly, not at all skittish, not undernourished, and knows how to beg for people food.

Wednesday

As now seems to be the regular schedule, he comes in the kitchen while the kids are getting ready for school. When it's time for the kids to head out, I go in the LR to let them know, and there was kitty, curled up beside Dear on the love seat, sleeping very contentedly. So I let him stay in while I get ready for work. The kids go back and forth between the names Ginger and Oliver, but in the end, we decide that Oliver seems a good fit (after Oliver from the Disney movie)
That night was a cold one. The inside was cold, so we figured it was just too cold for him to be out, so we got him set up in the cellar with a litter box and took down the food and water bowls.

Thursday

Spends his morning in the kitchen having breakfast with the kids. That evening, we let him in the house. He spent the whole time sleeping either on the love seat or the carpet runner. When it is our bed time, hub asks me what we're going to do with him. He mentions about putting him out. I tell him to go ahead. Which was a joke, because I knew hub wouldn't- Oliver was curled up, asleep with his paws covering his eyes, purring like a chainsaw. We get the litter box out of the cellar and put it in the kitchen near the food so he'll know where to find it should he need it.

Today

Oliver has spent the majority of the day inside. I did send him out for awhile, just to get some fresh air. Our kitty Molly seems to not mind him, except if they're in close proximity, and then she hisses/growls. He acts as if she's not even around. He'll be spending the night in here again.

Ideally, my parents will take him. I really don't want another cat. Especially not a male (not sure if he's fixed or not), since we have a female (who is fixed). Talking to my mother this morning though, I don't think he'll be living there. She's too into not having a cat to have one. So I think I'll talk to my next door neighbor, who has barn cats. Usually people with barn cats don't mind adding another to the mix.

So where did Oliver come from? No idea. My dad thinks that someone brought him here and abandoned him. I think that is probably what happened. And if so, it appears that someone recently was in our driveway and lost their cell phone charger...wonder if it belongs to the abandoners?

SPCA

We've been thinking about getting a little dog for over a year now. Yesterday I was at the SPCA and looked at the dogs. They were all too big for our families needs (we want a dog that is small, so we can take it with all 5 of us and a cat- maybe 2 cats- when we go on vacation). It just so happened that there was 1 little dog inside the buildig, separate from the other dogs. A little Shih Tzu. She was just brought in 30 minutes prior.

They placed my name on a list, saying that I wanted to adopt her.

I called back this morning to see what they had to say, and apparently, although I was the first person to speak up for this doggy, my name is waaay down on the list. Because there is a list of people who want small dogs. So whenever a small dog comes in, the person at the top of the list is given first crack, etc.

So. I understand, but at the same time, I don't. Whatever happened to "first come, first served"?

I went from being really excited to have found a perfect little doggie for the fam to giving up on the idea. I won't pay $400+ for a new little doggie from a breeder, but neither do I fancy the idea of being placed on a waiting list. And waiting. And waiting.

So we'll just let what happens happen. If a little doggie happens to cross our path, it was meant to be.