According to Gatsby's records, he was born on August 8, 1998. I wasn't there for his birth, but I was there the day Jeff adopted him. We went to a cat adoption event in Clarendon at a Petco that used to be located in what is now the parking lot of our kids' preschool. We pretty much knew from the moment we saw him that he was ours. He was already six months old, his given name was Bandit and when our eyes first met, he was lying in a cage below twin 30lb orange tabbies.
Although it was love at first sight, we decided to check out other cats. At an adoption event in DC, we met a scrawny little kitten that made my heart break. She was timid from being mistreated and her fur was mottled. Despite feeling like she would be a great cat to adopt, our hearts were with Gatsby/Bandit. So, we headed back to Arlington and Jeff started the adoption process.
During the two-week waiting period, when the adoption folks visited Jeff's apartment on N Street to make sure it was suitable for Gatsby, we went to the now-defunct Borders bookstore in Pentagon Centre and pored through books, trying to figure out what kind of cat Gatsby was. After perusing hundreds of pages, we decided he was a Ragdoll. It wasn't until our first visit to Collins Hospital for Animals in Georgetown a few months later, that we discovered he was actually a less exotic "domestic long hair". We also spent the two-week wait trying to come up with a name. Even though Bandit fit his appearance, we agreed that we would rename him. I remember sitting in my apartment at the Bennington and saying, "let's call him Gatsby!" The green eyes on cover of The Great Gatsby edition that we read in 9th grade reminded me of our kitty's eyes. Jeff agreed on the name and a few days later, we drove down to Woodbridge and picked up our cat from his foster family's house.
Since then, he has lived in several places. In Jeff's apartment on N, in my apartment in Arlington, in my apartment in Carrboro, NC, in our place in Woodley Park, in our first apartment in our current building and finally, where we are now. During that time, he went from 12 lbs to 21 lbs. As a result of his weight gain, he's been on diet cat food since 2002. He used to be active, but now that he has arthritis, he is less mobile. However, he does spend more time with the kids now than he did when they were younger and favors their Thomas Misty Island Railway toy. He has always been a lovable ball of fur and a favorite among vets, vet techs and cat sitters because of his friendly demeanor.
We are so lucky to have Gatsby to round out our party of five. I know we always seem to forget to mention his birthday, but it doesn't mean we don't celebrate it. This year, he got a double-sided brush and an extra side of affection. We love you, Gatsby!!! Here's to 13 more years!
xoxo
No comments:
Post a Comment