Our lives and hearts haven't been the same since Lilly stepped in. My fiancee and I adopted our four-year old medium-haired Maine Coon-looking cat this past March. She's everything we could've wanted in a pet and more. We consider her our child, even though we realize parenting will be an even bigger commitment. You know the saying, you will never know what it's like to be a mom until you have a child? Well, I believe you will never understand the love you feel of owning and loving a pet until you adopt one.
 |
| Lakeland Animal Shelter 3551 State Rd. 67 ~ Elkhorn, WI 53121 |
We also did research ahead of time to figure out what kind of pet we wanted - color, breed, de-clawed, health condition, etc. ASPCA and Pet Finder were very helpful in our search. We decided to adopt from a local shelter in Wisconsin, where my fiancee's mom has volunteered - Lakeland Animal Shelter - such a professional and loving atmosphere for animals.
Funny story - we visited their website and found a kitty named "Booth", which is the exact same name as my fiancee's UChicago Booth School of Business! We figured this was destiny. At the shelter, however, there were so many cats to choose from and kitty Booth was unfriendly. I walked around, looking at each cat and as I approached Lilly's cage, she stuck out her paw and placed it on top of my hand! It was then that we knew this companionship was meant to be.
It has now been seven months since we adopted Lilly, and there are several things we've learned along the way that I think will be helpful to you:
1. Cats are smarter than you think they are. They will find a way to hide and if you're in a big house, you'll spend hours looking for them. Learn what they like and don't pressure them to do ANYTHING.
2. Cats can be finicky with their foods so you must learn how to feed them. When I'm home and IF I notice Lilly hasn't eaten that much of her breakfast or dinner, I pick her up and bring her to her plate. Sometimes this works, other times just giving her a quick treat makes her want more food. Psychology with your cat is key! Also, experiment with different brands of food until you find what they like. We were using Friskie's in the beginning and then we realized Lilly likes broth so we switched to Fancy Feast which has more liquid and comes in small cans - easy to feed.
3. Clean out their litter box early in the morning (before leaving for work) as it stinks up your apartment and leaves the cat complaining when you come home. Also, get rid of all their litter once every month and actually clean out the litter box. It gets really stinky over time. Be sure to have a small vacuum to clean up the litter they track around the house too.
4. Pay attention to changes in their grooming, eating and general behavior but don't be quick to rush he/she to the vet. It's quite expensive and most of the time, you're just freaking out. This usually happens in the beginning of pet ownership. We are happy we did go to the vet to get her checked out and we found out she had ear mites - a common ailment pets get at the shelter.
5. Give them treats throughout the day to show your love and appreciation for them. Be sure not to overdo it though because it's just a treat and not an actual meal.
6. Pick them up periodically and if they seem antsy, just let them go. It isn't worth a scratch or several for me in the beginning until I learned how to pick up a cat. You grab their legs and upper arms at the same time and cradle them like a baby. This way they feel secure and won't lunge out and scratch you.
Here are a few more beautiful pics of my Lilly. This thanksgiving, I'll be adding her to my list of things for which I am thankful. Adopt today and you'll feel the same way! xx
