Furry Friend

I’ve got a big, fat, funny furry friend named Whiskey. Yes, we named him after booze, but he was “Whiskas” for the first seven years of his life and we thought it would be confusing to change it to something very different. For those of you not in the know, Whiskas is a brand of cat food.  Silly to name your cat after cat food, right? Well, after a few weeks the reason for his original moniker became apparent: he’s a glutton!

We adopted him in November 2008 from the Animal Rescue League of Boston.  I spotted his cute mug on their web site while in Europe on a business trip, and told my hubby the kitty would make an excellent 30th birthday present (hint hint). After I came home, we went to the shelter and I could not believe how HUGE he was (and still is).  When we brought him into the “visiting room” he jumped up on my lap right away and I knew I had to bring him home.

Although my husband and I both share feeding duties, I am definitely Whiskey’s person. He follows me everywhere, sits on my lap whenever I watch TV, and wakes me up in the morning by nudging my shoulder and putting his whiskers in my face.  He’s terrified of thunder, the vacuum and even the Swiffer duster, but loves getting attention when friends come over. Our new furniture no longer looks new, and sometimes he wakes me up as often as an infant would, but I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

If you’re thinking of adopting a cat, I urge you to consider an older one. At seven years old, Whiskey has many good years ahead of him since indoor-only cats can live up to 20 years if properly cared for. Unlike kittens, their personalities are already established, so you’re much more likely to know if the cat will get along with children, dogs, and other cats.

Whiskey came from a loving family that couldn’t take him to their new living situation, and I’m very happy that we’re able to make this second part of his life a good one!