This is Lissy.

It was a dark and stormy day on Saturday, the kind of day where the rain comes down sideways and the outdoors aren’t fit for man or beast. I was in my scraproom with the window cracked ever so slightly for a bit of the yummy rainy air when I heard a very sad meow. Under my window was a beautiful cat trying unsuccessfully to get out of the storm. I quickly went outside and invited her in. The minute Jonas saw her he asked what her name was. I said I didn’t know, and he confidently announced that her name was Lissy, a name I’ve never heard Jonas say before. We played and snuggled and she left of her own accord a few hours later when the clouds had lifted a bit. The kids were devastated.

Their unhappiness didn’t last long. She was back under my scraproom window an hour later. This time, I started really entertaining the idea of keeping her. She had a lot going for her. She was very pretty, and had the sweetest temperament I’d ever seen in a cat. She was tolerant of the over exuberance of a rambunctious two and four year old, and was extremely lovey. She was also pitifully thin, and she had many mats in her fur. Clearly, she had been on her own for quite awhile.

I sent the kids to go watch Elmo in their room to give the cat a reprieve from all the love. She hopped up on the couch with me, snuggled into my lap, and very suddenly I knew that she fit. This cat belonged here. The fact that I have been totally anti-pet, and that I would have some explaining to do with Chris, and that the cat expense could potentially cut into my scrap budget, and that I would have to clean a litter box just stopped mattering. This was my cat.

We ran to the BX, bought all the kitty essentials and came home. I put the kids to bed, showed Lissy her box (which she is using no problems), and started grooming her matted coat. I was as gentle as I could be, brushing out what I could and cutting out the really bad tangles, and she was very patient with me. After awhile, she fell asleep during the process, and I felt such a feeling of relief and gratitude from her.

She is a stunning cat, a love, and I can only assume that someone bought her and then dumped her when they moved or found the upkeep to difficult.

That night she curled up at the bottom of my bed, and as soon as she saw Maggie wake up and ran to her and started rubbing cheeks. Then she saw me sit up and did the same. In the past few days I have learned that she prefers affection to food, and that she would be held for several hours a day if she had her druthers. Last night I put her in Maggie’s old baby sling so I could hold her and do some chores at the same time. She loved it.

Every night, after the kids are in bed we snuggle up on the couch for a few hours and watch a movie or read a book while we cuddle. Every night I am overcome with a feeling of contentment as I stroke her long, soft fur and feel the vibrations of her purr. The concerns of the day melt away and I can’t think of anything I could do that would be healthier than to take this time of repose and quiet affection. Apparently, Someone knows what I need, and there are no accidents.