Finding Love Again: Luna’s Arrival
2023 was the hardest of years, losing both Pinky and Winky (Pinky in May and Winky in September). Both were somewhat unexpected losses, as Pinky had no illness or symptoms until the day she developed labored breathing (a mediastinal lymphoma was found at the emergency vet), and Winky, who’d had a few different health problems, seemed stable until two days before she left us. Having had these sweet girls for 14 and 12 years respectively, I was heartbroken to have to say goodbye. Winky’s death hit me especially hard. I always described her as my heart and soul kitty.
This left our household with 14 year old Roxy and 8 year old Lacey. Lacey, still playful and active, needed a playmate (older Roxy was not interested in that) and so, days after losing Winky, we brought home 6 month old kitten Libby. Once integrated, it became clear that, while Lacey loved playing with her sister, at 8, Lacey zonked out long before kitten Libby did.
Another kitten? It was unthinkable! We’d never had two kittens, and in fact in the past had always adopted adult cats. Would another kitten fit in? Would our house survive? Did I really WANT four cats again (this was silly, of course, as I really want 24 cats ).
Petfinder yielded an overwhelming array of “older” kittens. The first one I pursued from a rescue very close to my home did not pan out as the rescue stated they do not accept adopters with more than two cats, even after I explained the size of my home, the number of litterboxes, my integration and slow introduction technique that has worked every time in the 23 years of having cats, and the fact that 3 or 4 cats had been the norm here for over two decades (without problems).
One of the candidates to become a Spicer was superbly suited to the honor as her name was Baby Spice. An all white cutie, about the same age as Libby, she seemed pretty perfect, and upon meeting her, it was LOVE. While there was a cat at another shelter we were scheduled to meet and greet that day, I knew when I left Baby Spice at the Petco that she was the one! And in fact that was made official the very next day.
She was brought to her temporary finished attic apartment on a Sunday. She was quite shy and standoffish that day, but by Monday was showing good signs of settling in. When her sister Libby accidentally busted in to the attic to meet the newcomer, it was full on play time right away.
Since her arrival, Baby Spice, renamed Luna, but more often called Baby or Kitten (sometimes I call her WC Kitten because she quickly grew from a kitten to a Whole Cat!), is so affectionate, playful, fun, and sweet. She loves her family, including all of her sisters. She immediately became Lacey’s shadow, almost acting at if she saw Lacey as a mother figure. Lacey pretends to be annoyed, but deep down I know she loves Luna. Luna growls when she runs zoomies, loves to watch the birds, chipmunks, and squirrels through the windows, squeaks when she’s happy, which is always, and loves to cuddle humans and felines. She is adored and pampered, which every pet deserves.
