Bluto

After the unhappy loss of both Bolan & Winston, our little house felt a bit empty. Our remaining cat Boone seemed to be affected by the loss of Bolan in particular - this past week he woke us at night crying in a doleful way, prompting us to call him to us. We wondered if he were lonesome - he waited at the door for us when we went for dog walks - & thought maybe he needed a sibling.

My wife spent a large part of the last week seeking that sibling. It was not an easy search - people in the Portland area love their cats, & we found that inquiring about a particular kitten at a shelter might mean it would be adopted before the response - but yesterday we heard from the Humane Society in Salem, an hour to the south. My wife had fallen for a grey tabby & we went to meet him.

We brought him home today. His picture is above. Our cat Boone was not initially happy; he remains skeptical. Our two dogs seem a bit perplexed. They tolerate him if he ignores them, but are a mite aggressive if he wants to engage. Tonight, as I had a little whiskey, the new kitten fell asleep with my wife on the sofa. We put him in a crate & we hope he'll be okay for a few hours. I told my wife, "Go to him as soon as you wake up!"

His name is Bluto. I forget his shelter name. It was the name of a cleaning product. We discussed other names but this is the one we agreed on. Though he's tiny, he may yet grow up to be a bruiser. Right now, though, he's the sweetest damn thing you've ever met.

This is the thing about pets: it doesn't matter the wound left by the loss of the animals you love, your heart, if it's healthy, will expand to allow others in. I think Bolan & Winston would approve. Or at least understand - holy smokes, they'd think, Dad is adopting someone else. It happened throughout their lives.

They both knew it didn't mean I loved them less. It meant I had enough love for them & more. As Bolan's namesake once sang, "Deep in my heart, there's a room that can hold just about all of you."