In Better Late Then Never News...

Anyone who has been reading this blog (that would be, like, 3 people) knows that Patrick and I had a very difficult January when we lost both of our cats - Mr. Jordan and Boo Boo Kitty. Losing both of them in less than a week was just awful, and we were left with a void. However, I was quite content to live in a petless home for a while. It sounds mean, but Nellie (Boo Boo Kitty) was diabetic and she required so much care that in a way, it was a relief not to have to worry about her insulin shots every 12 hours, or worry about her special food or her potassium supplements.

Patrick was really in a funk and would stop by the animal shelter every week to look at the cats. I warned him not to bring home a cat without talking to me first. His last words were, "You know I'd never do that."

February 14, 2008: I'm sitting on the couch watching the NIU shooting unfold on every major news station when in walks Patrick, holding a huge wicker basket. Inside was the largest cat I've ever seen in my life. Jordan and Boo both were big cats in the prime of their lives - about 16 pounds. This cat, who is only 2 years old, is already 18 pounds and according to what we've read, won't reach his maximum weight for another couple of years.

I'm not even going to go into my reaction, and instead will just share a couple of pictures of him with you. His name is Cubbie Bear, but we just call him Bear (and of course, I've already got nicknames for him - Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, Kitty McBossy, Bear Kitty, and the list goes on and on):

Bear likes to go "belly up" to try to get someone to pet him. I tell him he looks like roadkill...hence his other nickname - Roadkill Kitty. So mean, but he loves it.

Sometimes when he sleeps all curled up he looks like Boo, and I have to do a double take. It makes me really miss her. I really like Bear - he's very sweet and cuddly...but he's no Boo.