One woman's unwanted pet was my family

I had just left a relationship and moved into a new apartment with my two girls. We were starting fresh. We had adopted cats before to be a part of our family but it never seemed to work out. Whether I had to give them away due to financial problems, boyfriends being allergic or they ran away. When the girls started asking for another kitty, I was apprehensive. I hadn't had the best track record but eventually, I caved in. I missed having the company and the cuddles. I'd always had a cat part of my life.

Upon looking around on online marketplaces for the perfect family member, I stumbled on Oscar. I couldn't afford much money so buying a kitty from the pet store or shelter was out of the question. I also knew I wanted our new family member to have had his shots due to not having those kinds of funds. Oscar and I were really meant to be because finding him with my requirements was near impossible. There were boatloads of kitties available for a new home for a steep price or free without shots.

"KITTY FOR SALE 40$ ALL SHOTS UPDATED," the ad said.

The universe listened to my prayers! He was so cute and it was an automatic yes from me. I didn't feel the need to meet him first and see if he was the perfect fit. He already was, I could feel it. He was a few hours away on the bus but that didn't matter. His owner lived in the middle of town in a crowded townhome strip. When I entered the home, Oscar was in one corner of the living room and there was a puppy locked in the kitchen.

Oscar didn't like the puppy. He was too excited and constantly invaded his privacy. He would run away and hide all day making life less than enjoyable. There was no peace in this home.

The owner explained to me that she had JUST bought Oscar from The Humane Society but because he didn't enjoy the company of the new puppy, she couldn't keep him. Deep down, I knew if she would have just given it time and trained the puppy around the Oscar, he didn't have to be given up on. Her lack was my gain. She said that she was about ready to bring him back to the shelter. Poor Oscar, who thought he had finally found a family, was rejected. She rallied up his toys, food litter box, and cage for me. He was confused and scared. "But I just got here! Where am I going now?" I felt that is what he would have said if he could talk. The whole bus home, he was quiet. I talked to him quietly, reassuring him that he was okay. I too knew rejection well. I knew the confusion and need to retreat into myself out of fear. I knew exactly how he felt and I was so happy that I had found him. I was beyond happy that I had saved him from being thrown back into the shelter system based on a lack of effort.

His name was my girls' choice. I couldn't wait for them to meet him and give him his new name. I tried to guess what they would come up with. Fluffy, Tiger, Cuddles. You know, the usual names kids give kitties. "Oscar", they told me. If you could've seen my confused face, you would've laughed. Well, that was unexpected! Well Oscar, do you like your new name? I still don't know if he understands that it's his name because he never responds to it to this day haha.

Oscar is a lot like me. His personality matches mine to a T. One minute he's basking in his solitude and the next he's meowing in need of cuddles! He will literally jump out of his sleep at times and howl, come find me, climb onto me and lay comfortably. It doesn't matter what I'm doing or if I'm busy. He will push away my phone or walk all over my laptop demanding his needs be met. He seems to forget that I am just a person and can't provide the amount of roo he requires. He sprawls out, twisting his head under himself forcing me to prop pillows beside me to catch his body. And, I have to pet him the entire time. Whenever I stop, he twists some more or raises his head and looks at me as if saying, "Umm, why did you stop?" He's not scared to let you know when he doesn't feel like interacting either! His voice though silent can be very loud through nibbles and paw taps. Sometimes he uses his claws as a last resort to show that he ain't playing around. I don't get mad when he does this because he has as much right as we do to express how he feels, good or bad. His claws protect him from unwanted attention. I would never take that away from him. When he's up for it though, he's the best friend to play with! We run around the home and play "hide and seek". He really enjoys the chase and it displays his intelligence so well. I've bought him toys of all kinds but his favorite toys include boxes and hair elastics!

Another favorite activity of his is going outside. He was spending so much time in the windows that I went to the store and got a harness leash to bring him out in the "wilderness". I get hundreds of looks, some snickering, others complimenting on how cute he is. At first, he was cautious and fearful. We didn't do much walking at all. He would take a few steps and lay in the grass, watching. Contemplating if it is safe to keep going. He really disliked the city bus. If we were too close, he would go wild trying to break free from the harness. We did this for a few weeks. Then the walks became more frequent and we covered a wider piece of land. He runs after squirrels, mice and jumps at flies. Though I consider him a house kitty, I always enjoy watching him be his natural self in the outdoors. It can get boring for me when he decides to just lay in the sun and soak it in so I usually pop in my air buds and fill my ears with my favorite music. In the summer we can spend up to two hours outside!

We tend to forget sometimes that animals have feelings. They feel and are very intelligent. I saw this firsthand when I decided to leave for a week about a year after I had brought him home. I wasn't going far but I wanted to make sure I wasn't neglecting him so I did some research before leaving. I found out that cats shouldn't be left at home alone for more than 3 days. So I talked to my friend whom I'd be residing with for the week about coming back to my home twice during the week to check on Oscar and make sure he is okay. He agreed. I put out extra water, food, and litter. Both times I came back to check on him, he ran to the door the moment I walked in. I pet him, held him, played with him, cleaned out his litter box, and left again. When I got back for good is when I noticed the effect of me being gone had on him. For the next 6 months, he didn't leave me alone. He cried every time I left even just to go to the store and I heard him crying when I'd come back. When I was in the home, he was rubbing up on my legs or jumping on me for cuddles. He was scared I'd leave him again for so long, maybe for good this time. I could feel the fear. So I held him, pet him, played with him, reassured him, and loved on him as much as he needed it because I never, ever want him to feel unwanted. I know this feeling too well also.

Next August, he will be 4 years old. Sometimes I look at him and wonder if I wouldn't have taken him home, where he would be today. I can't imagine not having him in my life now. Like a true family member, he drives me insane and also melts my heart daily. I look forward to so many more walks, cuddles, and games of "hide and seek"! I was lucky to have found him and I hope he feels lucky too.