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| Name: |
Vinny
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Age: |
Three years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Domestic Shorthair
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| Home: |
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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This
is my baby, my best friend and the reason I smile every day. In
September he turned three years old and is a yellow tabby. Vinny is
originally from Kansas, but he has traveled with me to school in
Oklahoma City and now to my first job as a dancer in Bally's Jubilee! in
Las Vegas, Nevada.
I received Vinny (short for Vinegar because that's what he's full of) as
a Thanksgiving present from my parents when I was a sophomore in
college. I have always grown up with pets, and cats have always been my
favorite. I was just begging to have a cat at school and finally, I got
him. Keeping him with me was another story. In my apartment complex,
we weren't allowed to have pets and if they found out that an individual
had one, they would request that the person remove the animal from the
premises. Well, a few months passed and Vinny was found out. So I
began a one-woman quest to get the apartment complex to allow pets. I
worked for over a year - writing petitions and trying to get people in
the complex to sign them (I went to every single apartment in the
complex three times in an attempt to get as many signatures as I could).
After the petition was received by the President of the company who
owned the apartment complex that I lived in, as well as many other
complexes, I was told that the petition was simply not enough.
I then began to write letters, did my research and even got the ASPCA to
back me. I was denied a few times until I found a hole in system. I
discovered HUD. Under the Disabilities Act, people who are disabled are
allowed to keep pets with them regardless of where they live. I
physically have no disabilities, I am a dancer, for goodness sake. But,
depression and mental illness is seen as a disability. It just so
happened one of my Mom's best friends from high school is a
psychiatrist and, so with her help, I was the first person to have an
animal legally within the school's apartment complex.
Vinny means the world to me, we can carry on conversations for minutes
at a time. I believe him to be extremely intelligent and full of
personality. To anyone who says animals don't have personalities, I
would like them to meet my cat. Every day when I come home he is
waiting for me. He's thrilled to see me back at home and follows me around
and begs to be picked up. If I don't pick him up quick enough, he'll
jump into my arms (or back, he isn't biased). He also has this look
that he gives me, I call it "gazing at me longingly". And he really
does. He is the first cat that I have ever had such a relationship
with. Vinny follows me everywhere and sleeps on top of me (and
sometimes on top of my head) every night. We understand one another and
I can't imagine life without him.
Another thing that makes Vinny very special is that he loves to travel.
When I put him in a vehicle he settles down and is extremely happy.
I've never met a traveling cat, but that's exactly what Vinny is. Vinny
is my cat and we are best friends. He has gotten me through some tough
times and I can only hope he will be around for many years to come.
This picture is one of my favorites of Vinny. While he may not
look like the loving cat I know he can be, this is another side of him.
My roommate had just had a birthday and we wanted Vinny to try on a
birthday hat. As you can tell, he just adored the whole thing. Just
kidding, but to me, no party would be complete without Vinny!
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