“Pedigree or Moggie? – They All Deserve Forever Loving Homes” was written by me and was published on this site on September 4th. At that time we were adamant about purchasing or adopting Oriental Shorthair, Siamese or Rex Kittens. I also stated that I love all cats and that all cats are beautiful. Some people basically disagreed that I love all cats since I was being rather choosey about the type of kittens that we were looking for.
It’s no secret that I am absolutely gaga over these breeds. Since I have been owned by several of these breeds, I am familiar with their temperaments, personalities and some of the health issues that are potentially present in the breeds. But since we have an almost 15 year old Oriental shorthair named Sir Hubble Pinkerton, we also suspected that pedigreed kittens might be much easier for him to bond with. Perhaps that isn’t true – we shall see.
So we weren’t looking for a moggie – not in our wildest dreams. We had been calling breeders, reaching out to breeder friends to find out if there were by any chance some kittens that weren’t perfect – not show types, but those with those unwanted flaws such as a kinked tail, cross eyes or the “wrong” color. In fact we still have feelers out for such a kitten that deserves a permanent loving home. We ain’t snobs – a pedigreed kitten doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to purr a lot!
The other day I decided that we needed to make a necessary change in Sir Hubble Pinkerton’s diet. Not only was he getting bored with his hum-drum “Fancy Feast Chunky Chicken”; a moist cat food that he once went bonkers over, couldn’t get enough of, however the food contained additives that are not necessarily healthy. One of these additives is carrageenan; a seaweed derivative used as a food additive. However it is an ingredient which has become quite controversial.
Although it is edible seaweed, according to Dr. Jean Hofve, noted feline veterinarian and an expert in feline nutrition,
“it contains lots of trace minerals and is supposedly nutritious; industrially-produced carrageenan is a highly processed ingredient that is extracted using alkaline solvents” (littlebigcat)
Dr. Hofve posed an interesting question: “[Since] The feline stomach environment is extremely acidic; could this make carrageenan especially dangerous for them compared to humans?” Could carrageenan be a factor in IBD, food intolerance, and the skyrocketing rates of cancer and diabetes in cats?” Sir Hubble has IBD – and we were becoming highly concerned that additive might indeed exacerbate his tummy problems and cause pancreatitis attacks. But I digress . . . .
My husband and I went to our local Petco to buy a brand of cat food that’s devoid of carrageenan, grain and meat by-products which I discovered after extensive research. We bought the food and being naturally curious ambled over to the feline adoption area. And there he was – a little ball of black fluff, with patches of white under his neck, and on his belly. And was he ever talkative and friendly – reaching out to us through the bars of his cage. And after a staff person put him in our arms – for us it was a done-deal since we were both smitten with Poe, and it appeared he agreed wholeheartedly.
But Petco was not the adoption agency so we had to call the shelter, Angels have Whiskers to be sure he was available. After a rather lengthy phone call interview with Cherie Stockholm, the shelter owner, she decided that we were very suitable adopters, and within two hours we were taking Poe home, safely ensconced in a carrier.
He is amazing! He chirps, he snuggles, he kisses, he fetches – he adores us and we adore him right back. He will be in isolation in our bedroom for the next 10 days, but that’s ok- we get to spend a great deal of time playing and loving on him. He is a happy kitten – and we are new happy pawrents to an adorable, intelligent, insatiably curious kitten. But just so you know, we are still looking for that imperfect pedigreed kitten to keep Sir Hubble and Edgar Allen Poe company.
Are you stunned by our change of heart? Do you think Sir Hubble will accept him?
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*tears of joy*, Jo! I am shocked and surprised — in the very best sense of both of those words — that you have been adopted by such a handsome little man, who will probably (I pray) be robust, healthy, and long-lived, and who will absolutely be handsome, sweet, and loved! WELCOME, POE! Live long and paws-purr! I hope that another sweet little man of similar parentage makes himself known and makes it clear that you cannot live without him in your lives.
As for the food issue, ever since my beloved Sun was diagnosed with dry-form FIP long ago, I have not used any “supermarket brands” of cat food; and though I am sceptical about much of the food supply, for humans, cats and others, I do my best to buy the best I can afford, which seems to be working fairly well, as my youngest will be 11 soon, and my eldest is 21 and going strong 😉
First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS on your new addition! He is absolutely gorgeous! You and hubby are positively beaming, and I am so happy and excited for your family!
I love the name. I almost named my black cat Raven (for obvious reasons), but also because of Poe’s poem. But Raven is more of a female name in my head and it just didn’t suit my little guy. EAP is a great name 🙂
Moving along, I, for one, am not stunned by your change of heart. There was never a doubt in my mind that your love of cats–ALL cats–was legit. Our differences lie in our disagreements over breeding in general. But that is a whole other matter on which we can write an entire novel on! So for now, let us agree to disagree.
I look forward to reading about the soon to come kitten, as well as updates on how this new little fellow and Sir Hubble do. Ah…what an exciting time for all of you! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats, Jo! Edgar looks like a real cutie! No, I’m not stunned by your change of heart. I don’t think it’s a change of heart at all. I love all cats too, but I do have a special spot in my heart for Manx cats, Turkish Angoras, and moggies. I’ve seen some exotic looking mixed breeds who look even better than the purebreds.
I’m a great believer in fate, and I can’t help thinking that you were destined to meet Poe.
He looks very relaxed in that photo and from your description, seems to be a very confident and happy natured little cat. I’m sure Poe will bring a lot of joy to your lives and I hope Sir Hubble is accepting of him.
Wonderful, Jo!
He’s gorgeous. Love those wide opened eyes and those ears…
I am very pleased with the news. Pleased too that you adopted a rescue cat and a black one at that. Wonderful. You’ll be rewarded 😉 Poe looks like a real cutie to me. A bit of character and mischief plus a lot of interaction and love.