Delilah

Earlier this week, something tragic happened to a friend of mine. She was killed in a car accident. I am not ready to talk about it yet. So instead, I’m going to post some pictures of my cats.

This is my Senesino, big fat kitty boy.

Sen was my first cat ever, I adopted him from my cousin’s wife (at the time she had four cats, two of them have since died, leaving her with just one left). He wasn’t happy there, he’s a bit of a nervous fellow, and he was cooped up in a basement with three other cats, and every few hours my cousin’s toddler would go downstairs and run around screaming after the cats. I think Sen knew I could take him away from all that, because the first time I met him, he climbed into my lap and started purring loudly. My cousin and his wife were looking to get rid of three of the cats at that time, so everyone was happy with the arrangement, especially Sen.

This is Delilah, my black kitty, being a silly longcat on the window perch.

Last Spring, after starting to finally feel settled into my apartment, my job, and my life, I decided that I should adopt another cat. At first I considered a kitten, but after some thought I realized that a kitten was not the right fit, as I was working full-time and wouldn’t be able to adequately supervise a baby/toddler cat. I went to a local cat shelter that I found online, the Ohio Alleycat Resource, and spent a sweet afternoon meeting all their kitties.

This was taken right after a marathon grooming session. She likes to groom herself, then take a break to groom my head, then go back to grooming herself.

I went home and thought on it, and I kept thinking about the little skinny black cat, barely a year old, who kept licking my hand. She was so sweet, and she was being bullied by some of the other cats, and I’ve always wanted a kitty who licked (I know, I’m weird). So when I went back, having narrowed it down to four female black cats, I waffled a bit, but I knew Delilah was the one for me.

Now she’s starting to pay attention to the flashy thing that’s being pointed at her.

She was a nervous little thing at first, way more nervous than Sen had ever been. She had to be scruffed and shoved into the carrier to come home with me, and once I let her loose in my bedroom (with the door shut so Sen couldn’t come in), she ran under my bed and hid there. I left her alone for a little bit, allowed her to get used to things. I left water and food out, and every time I went into the room I would softly call her name, and eventually she started answering me. By the end of the evening, she would come out of hiding to be petted for a moment, and take a couple bites of food. And give me the sweet little licks she does.

Mom, seriously?

She was a skinny, frightened thing for a long time. It’s only recently, more than a year after I adopted her, that she’s started to relax and act comfortable. She and Sen were on shaky ground for a long time, but they seem to have set an uneasy truce, at least for now. They still sometimes wrestle, but there’s very rarely any serious vocalizing or fighting, so I am happy.

Me and my pretty girl, even if she does look annoyed. ;D

Delilah is still nervous about some things. She’s skittish when I’m walking, because a few times she’s darted in front of my feet and accidentally been kicked (not hard, of course, and I feel awful every time). She prefers to be on my bed or another piece of furniture to be approached, if she’s on the ground she will often jump up to a higher point. She’s still terrified of strangers, although if they’re not noisy she will warm up to them over time.

She loves lying on the bed and getting black hair all over my white sheet.

She’s made leaps and bounds since she first got here though. And I love it when she climbs up on the chair behind my head and starts purring, wrapping her tail around my neck (which is like a kitty hug), and grooming my hair.

She also loves exposing her belly to me and rolling around cutely.

She meows squeakily when I talk to her, or if she wants to get my attention. She jumps on the bed when I lie down at bedtime and wants to snuggle with me. She still approaches Sen and presents her head for his forceful grooming, even though he was a jerk to her in the past.

See mom? Aren’t I cute? Give me pettins nao.

She’s a glossy, slightly pudgy, beautiful black cat, and I feel so lucky to have her in my life. Lately, more than ever, I’m so very glad to have two purr-machines to share my joys and sorrows with. Things can’t look too dark when you have a sweet kitty purring in your ear. Happiness is the feeling of soft fur under your hands, and the gaze of an animal that loves you completely, no matter what.

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