It has been nearly six weeks since we had to put down Gus. It seems short as a mourning period. We both miss the guy something fierce, and strangely enough we’ve also gotten used to living in a cat-free home. Not having drifts of fur rolling about. Not having to keep an eye to the floor whenever we open the door. Making sure the screen doors are closed, that sort of thing. However, the kids have been asking about the possibility of getting another cat and, truth to tell, we miss the sounds of little feet.
So, earlier today, Erin up and said, “let’s go to an adoption centre and find a cat to adopt.” We bundled the kids in the car, keeping our destination a surprise, and we looked at (and held) a number of candidates at a local Petsmart. We finally settled on a 10-month-old grey shorthair cat from the KW Humane Society. He’s a neutered male with all his shots, in good health — kind of shy, but very friendly.
Although originally named “Luna”, the kids wondered if we could name him something else, and they were trying out names. Daughter the elder hit upon Jasper, saying “what about Jasper?” and that just clicked in my head, much the same way that “Gus” clicked when he sauntered out from the bedroom, all those years ago. Daughter the younger was less enthused about the name, but when Erin picked up the box and said, “Come on, Jasper!” we knew the issue was basically settled. Strange how some names just click, don’t they?
He’s in the basement right now, exploring the place floor by floor.