I Need to Ask You All a Question

[Anikaca77]

As you all know I lost my dear sweet Anika last month on Oct. 6th. Since then I think I've been trying to fill the void of her not being here with me anymore. I miss her so much at times and I sometimes hate going to bed because she isn't there with me anymore. She used to sleep in between my legs every night and sometimes I used to make her move but other times especially towards the end or what I thought might be I just enjoyed her sleeping there.

Well now to get to my real reason as to why I'm writing this thread to you all. About 2 weekends ago I was in at Petco on Saturday and as most of you know that's where the lady who I volunteer with show's cats on Saturdays.

I was with my sister and mom and we saw this one little girl, she was shy and of course the lady who I volunteer with Shirley said go ahead and pet her she needs the interaction so of course I couldn't refuse.

Well this girl made a special mark in my heart...I'm not sure if was her one eye looking at me but when we were talking about her she kept winking her eye and just looking so happy and I though aww she likes me. I realized though after I left that I couldn't have another 8th cat. With this past year and trying to afford vet care for Anika which you all were just so generous and I'm very thankful to you all so much for your donations. This past Friday night I received a call from Shirley asking if I spoke with my husband about the one eyed kitty and I told her I had (which I did but we both said that 7 was a pretty good number to stick at and well it was my first meeting with her so I wasn't too attached) and he got on the phone wanting to know what he was getting into and she told him about this one eyed kitty. So on Saturday we told her we would stop by and say hi to her and the kitty.

Of course on Saturday my husband and I stopped by Petco and she was just being adorable, a little shy but sweet and man she just kept looking at me and my heart of course was breaking. But my husband and I left and we talked about it and he said that we really shouldn't take in another one and I agreed and later that evening I went back there to get more pictures so I could update Shirley's petfinder website and I got several pictures of her and just broke my heart even more. She started to act like she was going to roll on her head but with her eye missing (her skin over where her eye used to be is stilling healing) and she couldn't do that so she just sat there and started winking her on eye at me and I had to get going so I left and my husband and I have been talking about her and he told me that if I felt really strong about her I could go get her but then I hesitate and yet I want her but at the same time it might be best for her to get a home with less cats.

I guess I just need to write this out even though I haven't come up with a decision yet but I do think about her and I just think about how happy she looked at me and maybe like I said earlier I'm just trying to fill a void that's in my heart right now from my Anika being gone. I've attached pictures of this one eyed cat they are calling her Patches.

Melissa

[Taz_Zoee]

I think you should follow your heart.
What if you wait a week or so and if she isn't adopted then she's yours.
When we went to see Taggart and he was still there that told me it was meant to be.
However, I totally understand about finances. That's why I'm sorta kicking myself right now for bringing in another fur baby at this time. But I will work it out. And so will you.

BTW - she is absolutely adorable!! I can see how she stole your .

[MoonandBean]

She's adorable! She looks a lot like my Moon. I believe that when our hearts start to heal, we start to think about loving again. You have too big a heart to not let more in. I can't tell you whether you should adopt Patches but I do believe that even thinking about it is a good sign that you are healing.

P.S...Of course, I really want you to adopt her........

[Freedom]

This is such an individual thing.

When I lost Amber, I couldn't even consider another cat for months. When we lost Dazzle, just a few short weeks later, I brought Cuddles home.

We each cope with grief differently and differently each time. So there is no right answer in that regard.

Consider the other cats, how will they respond to a newbie. Do you think (and I have no idea how you determine this) that all of them are ready for a newbie.

Finances should be a consideration. What is the health right now of the 7; what is involved potentially with Patches health issues. What are the current 7's ages, what is Patches age. All these things jump on the consideration table when you think finances. But that is only ONE of many factors to consider. Yeah, sometimes it is a deciding factor. But the fact that you are "wobbling" suggests it is not the deciding factor in this case.

There is no guarantee Patches will sleep with you the way Anika did. Ask yourself if you are going to be disappointed in that. You need to be able to love Patches for herself.

Best wishes as you think this through.

[Medusa]

Boy, I'm w/ya on this one, Melissa. I felt exactly the same way after Puddy died and little Buddy came into my life. I didn't want another cat, I promised my son that I wouldn't take in any more cats, and yet, Buddy touched me in such a way that I decided to make him mine. Of course, we know how that ended but my point is that I asked myself the same questions, whether or not I was trying to replace Puddy, whether Puddy "sent" Buddy to me, whether I can afford another cat, even though my vet bills went through the roof w/Puddy towards the end and my finances have gotten a bit of a break. I won't tell you what to do but I will tell you that, if it was me, I would go back and get Patches but then I'm a sucker for cats w/special needs or infirmities. Weigh the pros and cons, if you feel that will help, but I'm no good at that when it comes to animals. My head tells me one thing, my heart tells me another. Special prayers going up for you and your hubby and especially for sweet li'l Patches.

ETA: I took Buddy in because he needed a loving home and not for any of the reasons listed above. He needed help and all he wanted was love, love and more love. It all came automatically w/me. Sometimes we just have to do what we're led to do and not question it.

[G535]

I think she needs you and you need her.

[Anikaca77]

Thank you so much for your response. I would like to answer your questions, just so others know the ages of my others and the health issues.

Claudia 6 yrs. old. she was just diagnosed with having crystals in her urine and she was peeing outside the box so we have her one special food right now but she gets can food twice a day (vet orders) and she doesn't complain so the cost for the can food is $1.29 each and that lasts about a day. The vet said she'll have to have that the rest of her life to keep the crystals from coming back and the infection hopefully will stop with gluecosume pills I have to give her but I found a great deal on them on Amazon so I'll be ordering them next month and I'll hopefully have enough for the rest of next year.

Ashley 4 yrs. old, she's over all very heathly knock on wood.

Sebastin 6 yrs old and he's healthy as well.

Hermes 2 yrs old has Herpes which we give him some lysine to control his outbreaks which they seem to be okay right now.

Fiona 1 yrs old....she does the grinding of her jaw and we've never been able to figure out why she does it but when you scratch her jaw she will grind her teeth very hard and it just sounds painful but she doens't appear to be in any pain and I've had her at the vets and we still can't figure it out. When we do pet her sometimes she will want us to rub on her jaw but we don't do it because we know what the result will be.

Athena 2 yrs old is the one I rescused earlier this year from the streets of Bellefonte and she's pretty healthy other than that hernia operation she had to have earlier this year after she was spayed.

Osiris...he's a bad**s, he's about 9 months now and healthy as a horse.

Patches (even though if we adopted her I would probably change her name to something special) appears to be very healthy, she was born on a farm and she developed a bad eye infection (I don't recall what the name of it was) and a lady took her to the vets and they said that she needs her eye taken out and so the lady fixed her up and Shirley has her now because the lady who rescued Patches has a lot of health issues and couldn't keep her.

I just wanted to clear up that I'm not looking for another cat to sleep with me like Anika did, I was just saying that I missed the way Anika slept with me. I still have my Claudia who usually sleeps on my pillow and sometimes others sleep ontop of me but it all depends.

I think the question I really meant to ask is how many of you have felt this feeling between and cat and were able to let them go to another home. I posted a thing up on craiglist about her and I just hated doing it because in a way I want to take her home with me and in a way I don't know how she will do with the rest of our guys considering they play rough sometimes.

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments,
Melissa

What is the health right now of the 7; what is involved potentially with Patches health issues. What are the current 7's ages, what is Patches age. All these things jump on the consideration table when you think finances. But that is only ONE of many factors to consider. Yeah, sometimes it is a deciding factor. But the fact that you are "wobbling" suggests it is not the deciding factor in this case.

There is no guarantee Patches will sleep with you the way Anika did. Ask yourself if you are going to be disappointed in that. You need to be able to love Patches for herself.

Best wishes as you think this through.

[GILL]

I thought that 3 were enough at one time. The Crew started to grow. Lately it has been babies that might have a hard time finding a forever home.
I now have a 17-year girl coming from CA. and we will be up 14. Yes money does get a little tight and maybe that oil change the car needs has to wait another week. But you have to follow your hart and it seems that this little girl has chosen you.
My favorite saying now is "THE HOUSE IS FULL, BUT THE HART IS NOT"

[Medusa]

Well, you didn't know how any of your cats would get along w/each other in the beginning, did you? Gradually, they fit in and got along, even if they do like to rough house on occasion. There will be an adjustment period, of course, but eventually they should learn to accept one another.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

If it helps, I am sure Anika will have sent her to you for you to find

[Moesha]

Knowing how you have tried helping so many kitties and being so particular about placing them in permanent homes, would you place Patches in a home like yours? One with many kitties and where finances could be a problem with vet care in a very small apartment? I'm not trying to give advice one way or the other, I'm just asking you to think if you were trying to place Patches. Perhaps you would look further than the superficial circumstances and see the person and the love they have for the kitty or perhaps you would say that Patches would be better off in a different kind of home and you would keep looking for a suitable family.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

After my Sydney's passing to the Bridge, we went to a shelter within 1 week. I was so sad without a cat; and I felt that Sydney wanted me to get a new one.
As soon as we spotted our Maya, she started meowing to us non-stop, telling us she had chosen us and that she was sent by Sydney
You must follow your heart. You will FEEL what's the right thing to do

[RICHARD]

(which I did but we both said that 7 was a pretty good number to stick at and well it was my first meeting with her so I wasn't too attached)

Ahem......


Cats can not count.......

[carole]

If you feel it is right, then GO GET HER,honestly i waited longer than i should have when my Sooti died tragically, my heart ached and ached for too long, and it was not that long really,but when Lexie arrived, it just changed everything for me, i never forgot Sooti, and i still miss him today, but she certainly filled that void in my heart, and I have so much love to give another kitty, i have never regretted my decision.

I am sure Patches will fit in fine with your lot,given time. Did you really need to ask us ? lol, you know you want her.,She is so cute.

[catmandu]

PERSONALLY I WOULD ADOPT PATCHES AS SHES AN OLDER ACT, AND NEEDS A GOOD HOME SO MUCH.

I KNOW THAT ANIKA WILL BE PROUD OF HER MEEOWMIE FOR HELPING PATCHES OUT AND ANIKA WILL HAVE A LITTLE PROTEGE TO MOTHER AND LOVE

CATS ARE BETTER TOGETHER