Today is a special day, an anniversary if you will. Ten years ago today Tiffany and I were driving out in Dearborn on our way to Fairlane Town Center when we drove past Vet Select and noticed they had a sign saying they had kittens for adoption. We had been talking about getting a pet but hadn’t really made any decisions yet, so we decided that if they were still open when we were done at the mall that we would stop in on our way home. Much to our surprise, as we drove past hours later, they were still open; so true to our plan we went in. As it turned out they had only one kitten left; an approximately six week old female tortie. She was the runt of her litter (born stray in a woman’s yard who brought them all in to Vet Select) and the last one left, but she looked so cute and lonely in her cage so we asked to see her. They brought her out and set her on the counter next to us. She was tiny with very large eyes and she immediately came over and started to nuzzle up against us and meow. When Tiffany looked up at me I knew I wasn’t leaving without this kitten. I told the staff we would take her, but I needed to go next door to Pet Supplies Plus and get some items first, because we had nothing for a cat. We filled out all the necessary paperwork and paid her adoption fee, then we decided on a name. Tiffany originally wanted to call her Mischief, but I suggested Princess, and that is what we settled on. They said they would get Princess ready, they needed to take her stitches out as she had already been spayed and determine what shots she still needed, and when we got back with all her new supplies (food, water and food dishes, toys, collar, leash and carrying crate) we were all set to go home with our new addition. Once we got in the car we immediately found out that she was not a fan of car rides as she cried the entire drive home. However once we got home and in the house she was fine. We kept her secluded to a single room for the first few days, and once we opened the door to her room so she could explore the rest of the apartment the first place she ran to was behind the toilet. To this day that is one of the first places she runs to when she is frightened. Over the years a lot of things have changed, but threw it all Princess has been with me; my constant companion. Melissa tends to say that she is more like my dog than a cat because Princess will, more often than not, come when I call her and sit by me. In fact she has a way of sitting next to me and glaring at Melissa sometimes, or perching herself on the arm of the couch next to me like a gargoyle, so Melissa says she is my little guard cat. I know they say that a dog is man’s best friend, but I’ve never had a pet quit like Princess and I am not sure what I would do with out her.
