The Best Cat in the World

   I have the best cat in the world. I'm fully confident in that assessment, and this comes from a lifelong dog person.

  We adopted our cat, Astrid, last spring. Actually, it will be our one year anniversary of joining our family next week. I hadn't lived in a house with a cat for nearly twenty years. I was honestly nervous about it. I have always loved dogs and never really considered having another cat, but my kids weren't about to hear that nonsense.

   It all started when we left Montana. My son James began mentioning how much he wanted a cat. He suggested we could get a girl cat since his mom was the only girl in our house. We chuckled and told him maybe someday, once we found a house to buy, we would find that cat.

   First, we landed in Joplin. My wife's company had found her a very nice apartment to rent while she started her new job and waited for me and the kids to join her once the school year wrapped up in Montana. Even though we were used to living in a house, we really liked that apartment. The neighbors were great, the complex had an awesome pool, my kids had a playground outside their door, and most importantly, they had installed tornado shelter in case the weather got crazy. It also allowed me to delay the actuality of owning a cat even longer. "This apartment just isn't big enough for a dog AND a cat, buddy. Once we find a house we'll get that cat, deal?"
 
  Obviously, it wasn't what James wanted to hear. By this point, he had successfully recruited and indoctrinated his younger brother into weekly inquisitions about adding another member to our family. Still, I have to give him credit. He patiently waited for nearly a year until we finally bought a house and moved out of the apartment. No sooner had we signed the papers for the place and gotten the keys did the questioning really ramp up. " So tomorrow dad, can we go find a cat?"

   We made that poor kid wait another month while we moved our things, boxed and unboxed our belongings,  and settled in. I told him to give me 30 days, and then we'd find her. I underestimated just how much he'd hold me to my word. The countdown had begun. It started when I would wake him up in the morning for school. The first words out his mouth..."Hey dad, 29 days til I get a cat!" Day by day, the number got smaller until we were down to single digits. I would pick him up from school and ask him how his day went,  and the first thing he'd say was " It was great because it's only 9 days until I get a cat." When his grandmother would call to check in, the first thing she'd hear was. "Only 6 more days until we get a cat."

  I really had gotten nervous about this whole cat thing. Not having owned one for so long, I was worried about finding a cat that fit in with us. Luckily, I was in for a pleasant surprise.

(to be continued)