The Great Calkins Cat Adventure (Part I)

My girls have wanted a dog for a while and we have slowly been inching towards adopting one.  They want a Chihuahua and I want a Beagle, Bassett Hound, or Labrador Retriever, so obviously we had to meet somewhere in the middle.  Unfortunately, after the fifth visit to an animal shelter, they finally figured out that maybe a dog is not right for them at this time (“Dad, why is there so much barking?!?”).  So, also for the fifth time, we took a stroll over to the cats, and Elaina and Gabriella met the (soon to be) newest member of our family.

Enter Merlissa (the girls picked out the name; her original name was Trinity), a six-month old female Tortie / Tabby mix.  While she was originally shy while inside her kennel, she immediately warmed up to the girls once I brought her out.  She loved being pet (seriously, what cat does not enjoy this?) and was nuzzling up against the girls by the end of the meet.  Could not ask for a better sign that this was the right cat for us to adopt.

After paying the adoption fee (we reserved the kitten, as there is a 72-hour period where an owner can claim their lost animal), we headed over to their store.  Since 50% of all proceeds go right back to the center, we purchase most of what we needed there.

After that, we headed to PetSmart and the Commissary to pick up the rest of what we needed.  Scratching post.  Litter box.  Food and treats.  And, of course, toys.

After the girls picked out a name, we went back to PetSmart to get her tag made.  Now it was official.  And after some more thought, I contacted the Pima Animal Care Center to see if we could adopt Merlissa’s roommate, currently named Topaz (possibly being Aurora in the future), as well.  Might be good to have a kitten for each of the girls and a friend for Merlissa while we are at work and school.  Now we just need to wait until we can pick up the bundle(s?) of fur on Friday.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Cheers!