Love at First Meow

TJ and I picked up our very first pet on Saturday. Her name is Rubi and she is a striped gray and white cat that is between a year to a year and a half old. We are so smitten with her! She was abandoned by her original owners when she was only a few weeks old because they moved out of their house and didn't bother taking her with them. :( Well, my Aunt Cheryl lived next door to the deadbeats (forgive my harsh words, but abandoning a kitten is unforgivable to me) and kept feeding her in the winter and letting her come in at night so she wouldn't freeze do death. Well, eventually the poor kitty became pregnant and had five of the most adorable kittens, ever. My aunt already had two of her own cats and couldn't afford to keep "Mama Cat" and her kittens so she started out seeking a home for all six of them. Originally, TJ and I decided to get a cat right after we were married (you know, to keep that biological clock of mine at bay ;) and I had my heart set on this adorable tabby at the animal shelter in town, but then my aunt mentioned "Mama Cat" and were hooked right away. The only catch was that she needed to have her kittens and then ween them and then let her milk dry up so that she could get spayed.

Well, after a few months of waiting, she was finally ready for us to pick her up. We met my aunt at my grandma's house (it is between the two of us, she lives about 40 minutes from Grandma and about two hours from us.)

And it was love at first meow.

She's a lover, that's for sure. I decided to name her Rubi because she is such a sweet kitten. She loves people and makes my heart happy (sparkly, like a jewel, get it? It's a stretch, I know.) Also, I just like rubies (my Nonnie left me the most gorgeous ruby ring from Brazil when she died and I love it More Than Any Other gift) and, not to mention, naming her fit the Rules of Pet Naming. (Please note that while Emily writes about dog names, I think the same thing is applicable to cats as well.)

Anyway, back to her being a lover. She's so sweet! She loves to be picked up and cuddled and she enjoys sitting on the couch between TJ and I while we play on the computer or watch TV or anytime, actually. She has a cute way of wriggling in between us and it's so sweet that we don't mind that she's between us.

There is, however, one downside to our dear, dear Rubi.

She likes to meow in the middle of the night for two things: food and attention. We're trying, very hard, to get her to sleep when she's supposed to, but I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. Maybe if I give her more food before bed or ... something ... she'll let us get some Much Needed rest.

But even when it's 3:30 in the morning, and she's meowed me out of bed for some more food and wants more attention, I can't help but think how grateful I am for such a sweet and adorable little kitty and I'm excited to watch her grown into a sweet and loving cat.

We love our little Rubi.