House's Fall/Winter newsletter) has been at the shelter for going on three years now, and I can't for the life of me figure out why no one has snatched him up yet. He's spunky, playful, and energetic. He's always the first in line for treats, and he delights staff and visitors alike with his clever playtime tricks. He loves attention, and-- for the most part-- gets along well with other cats. And have I mentioned that he's gorgeous? His sleek black coat complements his big green eyes, eyes that are round and inquisitive, and that give him a perpetual look of feigned innocence. That very look has gotten him out of trouble on countless occasions-- he just fixes that imploring gaze on anyone who is less than delighted by his antics, as if to say, "who, me?"-- and all is promptly forgiven.Now, I'll be the first to admit that, when it comes to Bobby, I may be a wee bit biased-- I am one smitten kitten, after all-- and I've always had a thing for "bad boys". Not that Bobby is bad-- he's great! But his exuberant personality and rambunctious
nature quickly earned him the reputation of being "overstimulated" (a term given to cats who don't always show their excitement in ways that we humans like or understand), and some went so far as to call him a "jerk". I couldn't disagree more! I suspect that the people who think he doesn't play nice are objecting to his claws, and not his personality. Those long, thin, carefully filed talons are his pride and joy, and he won't let just anyone trim his nails. He doesn't use them maliciously, but they sometimes get in the way; people whose hands are too close to the toy with which he is playing may inadvertently get scratched. He loves toys on a string that fly through the air, or balls that hop and skitter across the floor; for those who like to keep their paws just as manicured as he does, these toys are a safe bet.Bobby was barely a year old when I first met him, a full-grown cat who was still a kitten at heart. When he rough-housed, he was merely testing his limits, and he now knows how far
others are willing to go when they play with him. If he wants to play rough, he lets his playmates know by swiftly flicking his tail, giving them time to decide whether they want the play session to continue. He's done a lot of growing up since then (he is nearly four years old!) and he's also watched a lot of roommates come and go. So if at first glance Bobby seems aloof or indifferent, don't let his too-cool-for-school demeanor fool you-- it's just a facade. He's like the stereotypical "bad boy" in those romantic dramas for teens: the handsome, brooding type who wears a leather jacket and drives a motorcycle and smokes cigarettes under the bleachers. The teachers may not like him, and he looks like a troublemaker from a distance, but as soon as people get to know him, they discover he has a heart of gold. That's Bobby!I'm admitting my kitty crush here in hopes of alerting more people to this absolute gem of a cat, this diamond in the rough. If there was any way I could afford to have another cat, I would have taken Bobby home years ago, but Bobby deserves to have a home long before I'll be able to provide one for him. He's waiting to meet someone who can see just how charming he really is, someone who isn't afraid to cut his nails, and someone who, like me, loves him because of-- and not in spite of-- that mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Will that lucky someone be you?
When Bobby is finally adopted (and I know he will be!), I will miss him terribly. I look forward to seeing him every week, but not nearly as much as I look forward to seeing his name on the colorful dry-erase board that lists recent adoptions. While every adoption is special, I suspect that Bobby's name will be surrounded by the hearts and exclamation points and smiley faces reserved for the extra-special adoptions of long-time, senior, or special-needs cats. In fact, I will likely put many of the hearts up there myself.
*Written as a contribution to The Scratching Post*
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