Are you thinking about getting a pet? Should you get a dog, a cat, a rabbit, or a lizard?
If you talk to Keith and Sheila Mufty, they will tell you that their choice would be a cat.
However, it wasn’t really their choice at all. In fact, historically, Keith and Sheila were dog people. However, after their last dog passed away, they chose not to replace the dog. In 2016, Keith and Sheila’s daughter, Sarah-Kate visited a pet rescue and fell in love with a beautiful Tuxedo cat called “Reynaldo” and brought him home.
Keith and Sheila were not consulted about this unexpected addition to their home. Although Keith will tell you, it did not take long for him and Sheila to come around and fall in love with this adorable young cat. Reynaldo settled into a very comfortable new life with the Mufty’s and being the lone cat in the home, he enjoyed all the attention from his new family.
In 2018, Sarah-Kate visited a Pet-Land Store and once again fell in love with another handsome, young, male cat whose name would become “Miguel”. Once again, Keith and Sheila lost their hearts to another feline fur baby, this time a tabby.
Reynaldo was not impressed with this new addition to the family. Miguel is a younger feistier cat who loves to jump and play. He also likes to bug and play tricks on Reynaldo and disrupt his precious nap time. Over the past five years, the cats have learned to tolerate each other.
Miguel will turn any activity into a game. Such as knocking items off the counter and expecting people to pick them up so that he can do it again. Turning any small item into a soccer ball and batting it around the house like he is competing in worlds! Miguel’s naughtiest activity is to tip over a glass of water, just to watch the water spill to the floor. Sheila is amazed that Miguel has never broken a glass.
Both cats love to have attention from their family; Reynaldo loves belly rubs, until he has had enough then he will bite and scratch. Reynaldo will give a paw, just like a dog, shaking a paw, left, then right. Miguel will jump up on Sheila’s lap for a cuddle while watching TV. Miguel is Sarah-Kate’s office assistant when she works from home, keeping her well-entertained.
Sheila states that both cats knew how to use the litterbox from the day they arrived and there has never been a mess. Not every cat owner can say that. To help with their grooming and hygiene, both cats don’t mind having a shower. Every three months, the cats enjoy the warm water from a handheld shower and Reynaldo doesn’t even mind drying off with a hair dryer.
Both cats have been very healthy. Miguel did have a urinary tract infection that required a couple days at the vet and a special diet but other than that a clean bill of health.
Keith and Sheila can’t imagine not having their cats and both say how much “JOY” they bring into their lives. When asked what advice they would give to someone thinking about getting a cat, Keith and Sheila suggested fostering a cat first to see how it goes. If your lifestyle can accommodate a cat, then go for it. Cats are very independent, not requiring a lot of work. However, Sheila added, that the person needs to be committed to looking after and keeping a cat.
Too many people take on a cat or other pet without thinking past their current situation. That is what happened to a lot of pets during covid. People were spending so much more time at home that taking on a new pet seemed like a good idea at the time. Now that life has somewhat returned to normal, a lot of pets are finding themselves back in the shelters.
Owning a cat is knowing that you are committed to giving that cat the best life that you can, and the rewards are endless.
If you have a pet story that you would like to share in the Pet Post, contact Kelley at klpost@hotmail.com