Darcy & Me
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a small apartment must be in want of a cat.
Ever since reading Pride and Prejudice, I knew I was destined to fall for a Darcy. And wouldn’t you know it? That’s exactly what happened.
On June 14th, I adopted a new lifelong friend.
He’s a grey, male, eight year old domestic shorthair cat, and the new love of my life. I’ve decided to call him Darcy.
Why “Darcy”? Because like the literary character, he’s a gentleman. He’s handsome, elegant, and so well-mannered – he places his paw on me to politely request a petting.
(See? He’s trained me so well.)
His hobbies include climbing into my lap for snuggles while I watch my shows, and staring intently out of the window at the pigeons on my balcony.
Here’s one of many cuddle sessions we’ve had over the past few weeks. Usually his eyes are squeezed tight with bliss, but this time he’s looking at me quizzically because I’m using one hand to hold the camera, instead of using the required two hands to pet him. I don’t think I’ll be getting a big tip.
Like all dapper gentlemen, Darcy wears a satin bow tie. (They come in all colours, and can be bought from this lovely Etsy shop.)
Before I continue, I’d like to say a quick note about pet adoption – mainly: please, please adopt your pets.
There are so many wonderful animals already in the world looking for loving homes, there’s just no need to support pet breeding and that whole (quite cruel) industry.
Here’s a quick pros and cons of pet adoption list:
The pros of pet adoption:
- Most pets in animal shelters or pets from previous families have already been vaccinated, and neutered or spayed, which saves you a whole bunch of upfront costs
- If you’re busy or work long hours and don’t have the time to devote to raising and training a puppy or kitten, adopting an adult animal is a great option.
- Even if you’d like a puppy or kitten, there are tons of those available for adoption too!
- Adopting a cat that’s already a few years old means you don’t have to worry about litter training them. Same with dogs, they will most likely already know basic commands and be housebroken.
- No matter what kind of pet personality you’re looking for (more calm, more active, reserved, cuddly, whatever) – you can find just that at an animal shelter. Many shelters provide information about the temperament and behaviour of their animals.
- Adopting a pet is significantly less expensive than buying one from the pet store or a breeder. Some animal shelters have a small cost (around $50), and some give them away for free.
- And (most importantly) you’re saving a life. Pets that don’t get adopted from shelters are usually put down. Hundreds of healthy, wonderful animals are killed weekly because shelters just don’t have the money or resources to maintain them. Help prevent this by giving an animal a second chance at a happy life with you!
The cons of pet adoption:
- There is literally no downside, please adopt your pets!
Okay, back to Darcy. He’s the sweetest boy in the world. I adopted him from a wonderful lady who needed to give him up because her son was unfortunately allergic.
Not only did she drive all the way over to my place to bring him, she also brought along his bed, litter, and food. In case she ever sees this: thank you, Lisa! I am over the moon to have him.
I cleared my schedule for the whole first day, so that I could spend it with him from morning until night. I thought he’d take much longer to adjust both to the new environment and to me, but the two of us hit it off from the start and spent the entire Saturday in bed, intermittently cuddling and napping. (Truly my ideal relationship.)
Unlike most cats, he actually loves belly rubs. He’ll often look me in the eyes and then suddenly topple over, exposing his soft white belly for me to scratch. I happily oblige, much to our mutual joy.
I’m also pretty sure the term “cat nap” was invented because of him.
Unlike the Mr. Darcy for whom he was named, this guy’s not reserved or standoffish in the least. In fact, he’s quite the cuddle bug. He’ll rub up against anyone, begging for a little lovin’.
The first time I met him, I tried to ease his transition by offering him a treat (and, let’s be honest – to bribe him into liking me). His reaction? Trying to rub up against it with his face instead of eating it.
He’s the sweetest cat I’ve ever met. (And that’s saying something, because I worked at an animal hospital for two years and met a lot of cats.) He never hisses, bites, or destroys things, he just loves being cuddled and being near someone. Whenever I have to close a door on him (like to the bathroom) he meows desperately outside it until I let him in.
He’s also very good at skillfully jumping from place to place, daintily weaving around items in his way without stepping on them or knocking them over. Such good manners.
He sleeps on the bed with me, either curled up at the foot or right beside me, and when my alarm clock goes off in the morning, he meows and starts pawing me. I interpret this as, “You’re awake, why aren’t you petting me? If you’re not petting me, what exactly is the point of you?”
This is the pose he takes to lure me into a cuddle session. And what can I say? He certainly is handsome enough to tempt me.
Apparently I was taking too long to come over and give him a belly rub, so he tried winking at me to speed things along. (It worked.)
We’ve been having a grand time together these last few weeks.
(As you’ll already know if you follow me on social media.)
He also happens to make an excellent pillow.
All in all, he’s one cool cat, and I feel very lucky to call him mine. xx
– Sara
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