This is Burke. His shelter name was Bukowski. Being fans of the infamous drunken pervert poet Charles Bukowski, we felt he was meant to be ours the moment we laid eyes on him.
We had gone to PAWS on a whim late Sunday night exactly two weeks ago. I happened to see that they were having a special 36 hour adopt-a-thon for the holidays, and it was going until 10pm that Sunday night. We had been actively looking online for the perfect feline addition to our lives, but had not actually met any candidates in person. It seemed like a great time to just go and look around. No pressure, no expectations, just a couple of people stopping by the local shelter to peruse the cats for a bit.
We did not expect to fall in love.
There were tons of cats and lots of kittens and many rooms filled with lovely furry friends. We met all kinds of cats and debated between getting a kitten (which is like having a baby in the house) and an older cat who would be more mellow and set in their personality. We decided our ideal pet would be a chill but cute and fun older kitten, 6 months to a year old if possible. There were not a ton of cats that fit that description at the shelter that night. Sure, there were lots of very nice, very friendly cats. But we did not really connect with any of them.
The shelter volunteer told us that when we found the right cat, we would just know. It sounded like what people say about finding a wedding dress. But when I went dress shopping recently, I never really had that moment. I just picked one I liked. So I had mentally given up on the idea that there might be some sort of special moment when you found the right pet.
That is when we met Bukowski.
He was curled up in a basket on a window ledge. I practically missed that he was even there. So many other kittens in the room were jumping and meowing and being cute as hell, but I was drawn to the window sill and sat next to his basket. He woke up just to look at me and nod a hello. I smiled and pet him and he started purring immediately. The volunteer, usually quick to give us the life story of every cat we even looked at, said she did not actually know much about Bukowski, only that he had been asleep most of the day. A definite plus for us, since we were looking for a snuggly, mellow kitten.
I reached into the basket and picked him up to see how submissive he would be. He curled right into my arms and clutched my shoulder, purring loudly. His ears went down and he seemed happy to be with me. I was smitten. I spent a little time with him, then handed him over to Adam. Bukowski sat on Adam's lap in a little ball, still purring. Then he jumped off, digging his tiny claws into Adam's leg on the way. Adam winced, and I held my breath, thinking that that would be the deal breaker. But Adam was not phased. He still thought the little guy was pretty chill and sweet despite the accidental clawing. The kitten walked over to the food bowl and ate for a bit, and then came back and curled up with us for a little longer. He rolled over for belly rubs and purred like a car engine.
It was time to make a decision. It was 9pm on a Sunday night, and we were not expecting to take a kitty home with us that night. But Bukowski was just so perfect for us, and we had bonded quite deeply in a short amount of time. We could not imagine leaving without him.
So the lovely people at PAWS gave us a cardboard cat carrier, a box top and some litter for a makeshift litter box, and some food to get us through the night. We adopted Bukowski and decided to nickname him Burke for short. A few signatures and a quick cat tutorial later, we were driving home with our newest roommate.
It has been two weeks exactly since the night we met Burke. It already feels like we have had him forever. He adjusted to our house quickly and mostly painlessly, and has been a pleasure to have around. Our hearts seem to have grown a little bigger and warmer since bringing him into our lives.
The shelter did not know much about his past--he was found on the streets with ear mites and ring worm, fending for himself. The thought of this sweet, loving, chill little kitten trying to live on the streets alone makes me want to weep. I feel so lucky to have found him and introduced him to the life he deserves--chilling on our couch with us, getting all the belly rubs he desires. Welcome home, Burke. You have already made us so happy the last two weeks. We can't wait to spend many more years with you.
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