This morning, I woke up to a warm, soft ball of fur snuggled up against my shoulder. When I moved, she purred louder, stood up just long enough to turn in a circle, then rubbed her cheeks against my face as she laid back down. She's barely left me all morning and as I write this, she lays curled up next to me on the couch.
Ava is a joy in my life, and I often wonder how I was so lucky to end up with such an affectionate, playful, intelligent animal. She sleeps with me every night, and goes to bed when I do. She comes when I call, no matter where she is in the house or what she's doing. She warns me of visitors by standing alert and growling if anyone is at the door. Although she loves people, he's protective like a dog. She easily walks on a harness, and has learned that the harness and collar mean we're going outside, so she stands still and lets me put them on her. She plays games, loves canvas bags, makes the most adorable murder face if I hide half my face and stare at her. To break eye contact is to invite death from above.
This cat adapted to car rides within a couple weeks of trial and error, and now will hop into a vehicle if someone holds the door open for her. She went on her first airplane ride (in-cabin) last month and aside from some crying at take off, was surprisingly well behaved without benodryl or other sedatives. All I used was a few spritzes of Feliway in her carrier. She didn't have any accidents, either, for the entire 8 hour commute.
In fact, she came to us fully litter box trained and has never had an incident of going where she wasn't supposed to.
As for size and markings, she looks so kitten-like and tiny to me, but according to United Airlines, as of last month, she weighs 12 pounds though she's incredibly lean. Then I see her next to a regular cat and realize she's huge. Her markings are lovely. She gets complements from random passers-by on a regular occasion. The most common question I get is if she's one of "those wild breeds".
While Kelly makes no promises, I am allergic to cats. Horribly, horribly allergic, but Ava has never caused me so much as a sniffle. She slept nearly on my face when she was a baby, and not once did I ever wake up with itchy eyes or trouble breathing.
As a breeder, Kelly has been fantastic. She met us halfway, in San Francisco, to pick up our new kitten, and a few months later when she attended a cat show in my home town, she texted me to let me know and invite me to meet up.
Thanks so much, Kelly! You've given me a beautiful, loving companion. read more