Catlandia

My partner and I met in the summer of 2001 in Burlington, Vermont, two months before Spiderman was born. Everyone rushed to the scene when Smokey went into labor, but by the time we got there, three were already out. We waited an hour and nothing else happened, so we went to dinner. On our return, Spidey had arrived fashionably late — the only long-haired, non-tabby of the bunch.

Spiderman and His Littermates

Spidey had been claimed by a roommate and my fella regretted letting him slip through his fingers. Luckily, the roommate decided three was too many cats, and there was no hesitation the second time around. For three years they lived in apartments full of human boys with Spidey’s mom, Smokey, his brother, Spooky, and for a time, his half-brother, Venom, from Smokey’s second litter. Only Smokey and Spiderman are still around from the early days, and they’re both happy and healthy.

Spidey & brother Spooky at the Man Cave

Meanwhile, in October of 2003, the city animal control officer had a neighbor who came home to two cats crammed in a carrier together on her porch with a note: you look like a responsible person, please make sure these cats get a good home. With a little prodding, she convinced me to foster them. I knew they were mine the minute I saw them. A brown-tabby Persian and a flame-point Himalayan, sweet as could be and looking an absolute wreck. The Persian was completely matted, the worst being a softball-sized mat under his chin that forced his head to a tilt. The Himmie was suffering from entropian and his red, weepy, gummed up eyes made him look like Tammy Faye Bakker. I named them Harold & Maude, for my favorite movie. Once they were both shaved, we learned that Maude was actually a Claude. I never did get pictures of them before their transformation back to proper house cats, it was a little too heartbreaking.

Harold and Claude Begging for All the Things

In the fall of 2004, we decided to move in together. The first tiny apartment was not without its problems. Introducing cats to a new environment is tricky enough, but introducing them to new cats at the same time is fraught with peril. With a little bit of patience, Nature’s Miracle, and a water gun, they didn’t take long to become friends.

Three Little Piggies in their First Year

And that brings us to now. Twelve years, six human jobs, five house moves, four cat emergencies, two and a half human higher ed degrees, and countless other milestones have our clan happy and healthy, even through the hard times.

Winter is Coming