|
|
|
Name: |
Chino
|
Age: |
Seven years old
|
Gender: |
Male
|
Kind: |
Ragdoll mix
|
Home: |
Franklin, Tennessee, USA
|
Chino
came to us on a cold, snowy February evening, starving and lost or
abandoned. He was about nine months old and hadn't come into all his
beautiful glory of color yet. It was love at first sight though, and
after a thorough search for owners whom we couldn't find, we adopted
him. It took some doing to get him reaccustomed to humans, but he was
very hungry so we quickly earned his trust! A very quiet cat,
nonetheless, Chino is right there by my side, hanging out with me all
day, whether it's napping while I fold laundry or napping while I am the
computer. When he was younger he was quite fond of sneak attack hit &
run's on his humans, but when he adopted a kitten those playful antics
were transferred over to his new furry friend. At night he likes to
sleep on top of the headboard or in the bathroom sink, unless it's
winter, then he is right above my pillow sharing the other side of
it. He is the best companion I have ever had.
Chino loves flowers. When I first took him in, I tried to make him an
indoor only cat. I noticed he loved grass and flowers. So I bought them
for him. He eats grass a lot. And he loves to smell flowers. After three
years of crafty escapes and neither of us being happy with forced
captivity, Chino was allowed out on a leash. I didn't think he'd take to
it, but he did it like a champ. After awhile he outgrew the leash and
learned to stay in our yard all by himself. During those exercise
times, we discovered Chino's favorite outdoor game is Chase the Stick.
I throw it and he chases it and sits on it. Sometimes he pretends it's
a snake and saves me from it first. You can always tell when Chino has a
big imaginary game going on in his head because his ears and whiskers go
forward and his face fluffs up even more than usual. Chino likes to
hang out with me on the computer, often laying across the keyboard. I
keep one shelf clear just for him to curl up in next to my computer.
Chino is a big kisser. He likes to lick my hand and wrist and
occasionally I get a forehead kiss too. I think it's quite sweet. A
day in the life of Chino starts with us getting out of bed together, he
gets his breakfast first of course. He goes outside to do his business
and he always lifts his nose and sniffs the air as he purveys his
kingdom. He walks me and my daughter to the bus stop and enjoys the
exclamations of the kids on the bus and the bus driver who marvel at his
size and beauty. Chino walks me home and plops down on one of his spots
in the computer room to watch me work. He follows me around and does
whatever I'm doing, unless he is in a particularly great napping spot.
When I get home from work, Chino goes back outside for a stroll then
comes in for dinner. In the evening, Chino watches TV with us, usually
sitting between my husband and I on the sofa. Chino naps in the sink
when Mom takes her evening bubble bath. Then it's off to bed, where
Chino will get comfy either on top of the headboard, on one of the
headboard shelves, or anywhere on the bed that he wants!
Chino used to stalk me in the house and surprise attack me and then run,
but when he got feline companions he stopped doing that except for the
rare occasion. Chino has loved all the new additions to the feline
family. As a matter of fact, we used to go around saying, "Chino needs
a kitten" when he was a lonely only. We first added a female and they
bonded right away and Chino never even hissed at her or anything. He
just took her under his giant paw. A year later we adopted a brother
and sister from the shelter and that adjustment was a little harder,
especially between the boys. Mostly because Diego, the little brother,
is something of a Tigger and bounces everybody constantly and Chino
doesn't especially like being the bouncee. Chino prefers a civilized
game of Pawsies on the kitty condo!
Sadly, last year Shylah, the first little female we took in, got Rabbit
Fever. Chino came down with it the next day, but Shylah didn't respond
to the antibiotics as well and passed away after they both spent nearly
a week in the vet hospital where I visited them twice a day and got them
to lick cat food from my fingers and brushed them. Chino misses her.
Pixie and Diego, still look for Shylah. Convinced she moved in next
door, when I stepped in to feed her dogs one day, they jumped in and
Commando Kitty Style searched the entire house, upstairs and down, never
pausing as they went sweeping room to room searching for Shylah. I have
never seen anything like it. Shylah used to hang out by her front porch
so her scent must have been strong there. After such a close call, we
are more aware than ever of both the fragility and the strength of the
bond between us, and Chino and I often express how happy we are that he
is here today.
|
|
|
|
|