And then there was four...again.

Nothing feels better than being right especially when that naysayer is your spouse. All during lil' A's life, Big A kept sayin, "He is my last cat." I normally would give him the o.k. sign and say 'Riiiiiggghhht. I give it 6 weeks' (6 weeks was the length of time between his first cat and lil' A) but he kept insisting this would be his last.

Speed ahead 5 weeks and 6 days after lil' A died and guess who is going to the humane society "just to look" (this after a couple of weeks of viewing the available cats online)? Me and Big A.

We enter the humane society and Big A fills out the form and gets the card that enables us to go perusing the cats. We venture into two rooms that have individual cages and it is kind of heartbreaking as they walk up to the cage door and start rubbing their faces on it. One in particular got me - his name was Carmine and he was born with a deformed rear leg so basically he was a 3 legged cat but we ventured on down the hall to the 'community rooms' where some cats get to hang out in a big room with wooden blocks on the wall to climb on and hide in and also a door to a fenced in outdoor area. As we walk in, an orange tabby named Toby walked up to Big A and as soon as he saw Big A reach down as if to pet him (which he was), he dropped onto the floor and rolled over so that his belly was exposed. Big A was in love. Toby even let Big A pick him up and hold him much in the same way that lil' A liked to be carried. The only drawback - Toby was 9 years old. A senior cat. Big A was hemming and hawwing about it because he was older and then I told him "Just get him. You know you want him". There was no need to tell him that twice.

After filling out paperwork which nearly took as long as buying a car, we left with Toby. For the next two nights, Big A slept in the man cave with him with a baby gate at the steps just to slowly ease him into the meeting of the Hooch. They finally spotted each other through the baby gate - Toby's tail puffed up about 3 times its normal size and Hooch did the funniest doubletake I've ever seen.

Day 2 we decided to put away the baby gate and just let them figure it all out since eventually they will have to learn to live together...and it didn't take them long to do so. Lo and behold, Toby seems to be the cat buddy that Hooch has only dreamed about these past 8 years and 2 cats. He still seems to act sometimes like the abused wife such as yesterday, Toby was sitting in the hallway and Hooch refused to pass him (thinking he would get swatted at like he did with lil' A) but eventually he walked up next to him and sniffed his head (which luckily I captured a photo of). He even once was caught giving the top of Toby's head a quick lick. I guess it also helps that 2 days into having Toby, we discovered that his previous owners had him front declawed. Somehow Hooch must sense that.

So far, Toby has fit in relatively easily and has already taken to sleeping on top of the blanket at my feet (which I hate more than nearly anything) but doesn't seem to mind my constant squirming much to my increased irritation. It's nice to have a cat around again and their cat-like qualities and he's a good guy (sleeping arrangements aside) but he's no lil' A.