From the start until May, a whole big post about my pretty cuddle kitty
Given that I've posted a ton of pictures, I would recommend closing each spoiler before opening the next
I was never allowed to have a cat growing up because mum's allergic and doesn't really like them. So, a few months after I got my own place and got settled in, I started the search (and supply-gathering) for my first feline friend.
I first found one I was interested in at the nearest SPCA, almost an hour away. Her name was Ozzie/Aussie, she was a really pretty long-haired calico with green eyes, about four years old I believe they said, had already been there for a couple months; I would have renamed her Ezmeralda or Ezmie for every-day-purposes. However, when I went to enquire about adopting through them, I discovered that their policy really doesn't work for me, and thus had to pass (you have to go in one day between certain hours, fill in the paperwork and get assessed, make sure the cat you're interested in is right for you; then you have to go home and return the next day to get the cat. Given that I live and work an hour away and at that time the only day I had off was Sundays, the days I worked were till five or later, it couldn't happen. I didn't feel like digging into it overmuch, but they made it sound pretty clear that they aren't too flexible about this).
Thus, I had to look elsewhere.
A month later, one of the rescues updated their page and one of the new listings was "Dixie"
It was love at first sight for me. I immediately sent them an email with some questions about her and their adoption process, got a response within minutes (given that the SPCA never responded to my emails that was an immediate plus). I was able to arrange a time and place to meet/adopt all through email within three hours (would have been sooner, but I had to verify with my ride that it was okay that we make that detour).
I went and met her the next evening (she wanted nothing to do with me, was quite stressed about being in a cage in the vet clinic reception area), talked with the rescue-vet-lady about her, filled in all the paperwork -she even changed the estimated date of birth because I made a comment about my dog's being a week later-, was given some FortiFlora to help her with the food/water transition (RVL didn't even try pushing the Royal Canin that they feed on me), and brought her home where she was contained to the bathroom for the first while, so that she could acclimate to the house in relative peace and learn where her litter box was.
She was immediately renamed Saphira, even from the first I knew that the name Dixie would not be sticking; it just does not suit her in the least. I chose Saphira because I just loved the dragon and it also enabled me to make use of the name Saffy (a character from another author I really like). Plus, during my supply-gathering I found a collar with dragonflies on it so the name was just meant to be. She has lived up to her name/it has proven to be perfect for her as well.
Under the shelf seemed like a good place to hide once she came out of the carrier
Eventually she moved to the top of the shelf and showed some interest in the camera (or treats I was probably bribing her with)
After a few days she was introduced to more of the house and my other permanent resident, the boogey monster
I put Bella up there (she's kind of afraid of heights that one)
The chair is kind of Bella's spot, but Saphi will steal it sometimes
She's always been a good at making faces, and I even caught a picture of her showing off her pretty collar (which she's never had an issue with past the first day or two)
She's been a curious-cat pretty much since she settled in (one thing that actually really helped her settle in, and made her find her voice -did I mention that they told me she didn't make a peep in their care and liked belly rubs?- was when I sent Bella away for a night and day to my brother's)
She was iffy about Zoe at first, but quickly warmed up to her (the bear is a kitty-love-magnet or something - she loves cats and they quite like her as well)
Have I mentioned yet that she's a total sucker for soft blankets/spots and will claim them as her own if given the chance?
She claimed my blanket cubby, despite having a spot of her own two cubes over
Bella's crate, totally didn't phase her when I shut the door on her
Zoe's bed
Cuddle Kitty
Random pictures
She likes to groom her mice
Halloween collar
Her first Christmas as part of the family
Lookit how fluffy her belly got!
Random presents (the fabric is so I can line the window-sills she has access to, so that they're comfier for her -spoiled much?- )
She was quite engrossed in Lion King 2; during the "darker" parts at least
Lost all interest come love songs and scenes
Enjoying her big tree
(I took the toy that came with it off, so it kind of messed up the roping some)
She perches on Bella's food container like this all the time
Dog toys are great fun to maul
Post semi-bath (I've tried a couple times, it'll take a lot of water to get her soaked through); in the winter, it's easier to brush her in the bath though because otherwise static makes it way too difficult
Two years since adoption
As may have been noticed throughout the pictures she's basically gone from being a DMSH to a DMLH. For some unknown reason, her summer coat is also a lot longer and whatnot than her winter coat
Summer coat 2013
Winter coat 2013/2014
Winter coat 2013/2014
So other stuff that I forgot to mention above:
She ended up at the rescue after being picked up by animal control and not being claimed. I can pretty much guarantee she had a home before because she came to me litter and scratch trained and just generally knowing all about living in a house.
The rescue had her guesstimated birth date to be something like Jan 18/11; after my comment, it was changed to Jan 26/11, making her share a birthday with Bella, separated by two years.
While she looks like a big cat in a lot of pictures, she's really not. At her heaviest, she was about 9 pounds; for the past six-ish months, she's been averaging about 7.5 pounds. Basically, she's all fluff and bones. She does have a belly ponch, makes me wonder if she maybe had kittens before or something, but I'll never know.
She's a major chatterbox, tells tales all the time. I've only gotten to pet her tummy a couple of times.
She's not much of a cuddlebug, but became more of one after I replaced the carpet with laminate. Since then I've put a little pet bed at the end of my bed (I can't stand her laying against/between my feet) and one on the far end of the couch so that she has a designated spot.
She really doesn't shed all that bad generally, just with changes in season. I believe it's in large part due to her food. She's really good about being brushed though, quite enjoys it (isn't as keen on the whole bath thing, but I've never experienced death-claws from the exposure). My preferred tool for getting her fluff off her trees and off blankets and stuff, is the FURemover, it's seriously amazing.
She's a totally gentle cat. She will swat at me with her claws once in awhile, but it's been about a year since she got me good. I have two really noticeable scars from her - one on my chest from when I introduced her to Zoe (I was used as a launchboard for escape) and one on my left wrist because a month after I got her she wasn't eating like normal and her lip looked a little odd so I inspected closer and met the wrath of her claws; I want to get her name and pawprint tattooed in her colours around the scar. She will not give Bella a good swat, despite my encouragement, when she (Bella) is being a butt.
She mostly goes by the name Saphi which was originally shortened from Saphira and also an alternative to Saffy. Over the past two years, I've expanded what it could be short for to include Sapphire (the colour of her eyes when light's shining on them), Saffron (colour/spice, given her fur and personality), Safari (she's my little lion(ess), on account of the mane), and more.
Because of her, I pretty much can't stand petting other long-haired cats anymore. Saphi-cat has the most amazing coat ever, so soft, silky, lush, etc.. Other cats tend to feel sort of greasy/grimy/gross. I believe it's primarily a result of food, given that she hasn't had a full bath since she became mine it can't be that.
She's incredibly shy of strangers, tends to hide. She's gotten kind of comfortable with my mum, my younger sister-in-law, my niece, and my young female cousin (with the kids, as long as they just sit quiet and don't talk, she'll eventually come out of hiding).
She doesn't care for bell-toys, loves her squeaky mice, her catnip toys (especially from Kong, so it's the brand I buy most toys from now), her string-on-a-stick style wand toy, and dog toys (the snake in the one picture is one that stays out all the time, so she'll just randomly maul him; she'll sometimes be enticed to play with the other plush toys; her favourite, though, are squeaky balls - I have some super tiny tennis balls and a little rubber one that she just adores); her favourite toy lately has been an orange plushy egg with a squeaker in the middle (it's for the dog's Egg Babies toy).
I think I wanted to say more, but I can't remember now, so..
