A Tale of Two Kittens
By Eli Baggott
I was overflowing with excitement and anticipation. I knew it would be the only thing I would think about. I couldn’t wait a whole week!
It all started a couple months earlier at the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine in March, when I desperately wanted a cat. Though my mom wasn’t against the idea, me and my brother's cat allergies advised her to have us allergy tested first.
Because of COVID-19 we couldn’t get allergy tested, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt it would be a bad idea to get a cat without being tested. I mean, I could almost feel the runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes just thinking about it. I stopped asking and months went by. By July my mom had a change of heart and agreed we should get a kitten and, so she started looking for one to adopt. I was still hesitant because of my allergies but was able to convince myself it wouldn't be a problem.
First, we went to a shelter in San Francisco that we had already been to previously. The kittens were cute, soft, and playful with colorful personalities. Needless to say, we loved the kittens there and decided to ask about adoption. Unfortunately, we were wearing masks the whole time so we couldn’t get a sense for how much of an allergy we would have. And even though in the back of my mind I knew that it would be a bad idea to adopt before getting tested, or even knowing if we were allergic at all, my common sense was overpowered by my need for a cat. When we asked about adoption, they said that the ones we liked most had already been adopted and we would have to wait at least two or three months so the kitten we did adopt could be spayed or neutered. We were very disappointed, and I spent the car ride wallowing.
We spent a few weeks looking for kittens online instead and found dozens of kittens we liked. We messaged all the different places and got a lot of responses. But none of them would allow us to meet the kittens before adopting them, except for one... They told us that we could meet the kittens any time in the next week! But before we could meet them that Monday, we found out that they had ringworm, a highly contagious fungal skin infection.
At first we were very scared. Personally I was very upset because I thought there was a good chance we would adopt one of these kittens. It seemed like we would have to keep them quarantined, wouldn’t be able to pet them, and would have to wash them with a special shampoo twice a week for at least two months. We messaged the person who was going to show us the kittens, asking about their ringworm. Luckly, she assured us that it wasn’t a big deal. They only had a small patch on their face and had been treated for six weeks already.
That Monday, with much anticipation, we drove to meet the kittens. When we arrived we were met by a nice lady who showed us the kittens she was fostering. There turned out to be four siblings, each only three months old. She let us hold and pet them and we immediately fell in love. We decided we would adopt one of them. All that was left was to decide which one to get. Luckily we had a week to decide because they weren't old enough to leave their mother.
On the car ride home we discussed which cat to adopt. Two stood out to us. One of the three female kittens, who had a dark stripe down her back and the softest fur, seemed very active and energetic and, of what we heard from the lady, she was very playful. We also loved the only boy who was bigger and had lighter fur than the rest. He seemed very mellow and enjoyed being pet – as his loud purrs indicated. After going back and forth on which one to get my mom asked, “What if we got them both?”
“It would be great for them because they could play together,” my brother added.
“They could keep each other company,” I agreed.
“And taking care of two cats wouldn’t be that much more work,” my mom said.
So it was settled, we would get both of the kittens.
With this decision, I was overjoyed. I was also filled with anticipation because I had to wait an entire week before we could pick them up and take them home. It felt like torture.
The week of scattered thoughts and short attention span had finally ended when we arrived to pick up the kittens. This is when my fear of a severe allergy peaked. We transferred them into our carrier and gingerly took them to our car. I sat next to them on the car ride home to calm their loud meows, but nothing I did seemed to help. They were both understandably extremely scared as they were being taken from the only place they could remember. Luckily, at this point I didn’t feel any signs of an allergy.
When we got home and gently unzipped their carrier, the female kitten dashed out to explore the living room, surveying her surroundings curiously and cautiously before quickly changing course and hiding under a blanket.The boy opted to swiftly make his way to the back of the enclosed Cat Igloo that arrived just that Sunday and not leave its comfort for the rest of the day.
Now, three months later, they have finally warmed up to us. The girl, Mochi, loves to be pet while she sits on our laps for hours on end, and the boy, Dasher, demands tummy rubs with a loud and convincing meow. Petting my kittens helps calm me down when I’m distraught and feel better when I’m despairing. Even though I am slightly allergic, their presence brings me joy and a sense of contentment which is a trade I’m more than willing to make.
