Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!
I've always loved cats. I've even done answering machine messages where "Sozo" was meowing and asking the caller to give his name and number. It went:
"MROW! MROW! The Franklins aren't in now. MROW! Leave your name and number MROW! After the hiss! MROWWWW! FTTTTTTT!"
Some of the more heartbreaking experiences I've had with animals are the ones I've had with cats. Even though they're "just animals", they're literally part of the family. Sure, they don't need an allowance or driving priviliges (unless your cat is a freak), but they are nice pets to have around the house.
I actually had one photo of Sozo published in a photography book, and some other of the photos I've taken of him were really neat. I'll try to get those up soon.
Typically, cats are known for being neat and independent animals. There is so much variation between cats, though, that I would first 'meet' the cat more to find out parts of his or her personality. Sozo, for example, was naturally very curious, but he was extremely friendly to humans and would want to spend time with them. He loved going outside (we gave him his own room downstairs and put stuff for him to play with and climb on).
Dealing with a pet's death is probably the hardest thing to go through, and Sozo died on May 13, 2001. He was almost 12 years old. We got Sozo from the Animal Shelter the day he was going to be put to sleep in about 1990, and he was an uncared for pet. He turned out to be a real sweetheart!
The name 'Sozo' means Salvation, and he was saved from being killed, in this case. Sozo was a street cat, too. He kept it real and didn't fall for Fancy Feast, and he always held his turf. Whenever neighbor cats would come near his condo (he had a sort of fenced-in 'deck' to himself at one house), he'd paw at them and hiss and meow threateningly. Oh snap! Get out of that cat's HOUSE!
Check out Sozo's Web Page:
SOZO'S WEB PAGE
