The adoption of Wilma had much to do with providing a playmate for Eddie. Of course Eddie came about as a playmate for Walter. Having lost Walter, Marsha and I both agreed that Eddie now needed a playmate too, but I wasn’t ready to pull the trigger on another cat right away. In fact, I was convinced early on that Eddie would be OK on his own.
We lost Walter in late January of 2020 just as the whole COVID-19 thing was going down. At six-years-old, he experienced a heart attack during a trip to the vet. As he grew older, his anxiety grew when it came to seeing the vet. Even though it was a routine visit, his heart gave out and the vet was unsuccessful in reviving him.
That following April, an “everyone” email went out from one of the staffers at the college announcing the availability of several kittens and cats.
With everything going on, my family and I are also going to try and move in about a month. However, we have quite the number of cats that need re-homed as we cannot take them with us when we move. If anyone is in search of a friendly kitty, of just about any color, please let me know.
Just a little information: Very few of them are fixed. They are all very friendly and get along (for the most part) with other cats and sometimes dogs too. Many of them are excellent mousers. We have kitties ranging in age from about 6 years old to a few days old. We have almost every color: Orange, Black, Russian Blue, Calico, Tabby, Grey and one tuxedo. We also have both long and short haired kitties.
I really hate to have to put them all down or give them all to several shelters, so please spread the word.
We had been without Walter for a few months and this notice made it feel as though it was the right time to consider another cat—a young female I considered would be a fresh change for the house as well. So, I wrote the following response: “I’d be interested in a short-hair female kitten (less than a year old). Not too fussy about color.”
From that came the following reply: “I have several kitties that fit the bill, but one in mind. She is a sweet little black kitty with extra toes. If that is a problem, I can figure out another kitty for you.” Cats with extra digits are often referred to as polydactyl cats.
After inquiring further about this particular female, she followed up with another email:
I thought I would break this out as I am getting several responses. She has extra toes on both the front and back. About 7 toes on each paw. She is under a year, but outside of that I am not quite sure as my ex-husband brought her home last summer. She had just opened her eyes at that time, so I would guess that she is 7-8 months old. She is litter box trained, but may have a little trouble as we have so many kitties inside. You shouldn’t have too many problems with her though.
Ultimately we met up at one of the college parking lots to make the exchange and I immediately drove her to my vet for a complete physical to make sure she was healthy.
On the way she was perfectly behaved. She sat quietly in her carrier watching me as I drove. I knew then and there that she was the one and that she’d be a good fit in the house.
Up to that point in time, she was called “Thumbelina” due to her small stature and extra toes, but I wanted to give her a name that was more ordinary and would compliment Eddie’s name. About the same time, my mother was in the throws of dementia and I knew she wouldn’t be around much longer, so I gave Thumbelina my mother’s middle name, “Wilma.” Sometimes I call her “Wilmalina” as a nod to her first name.
By the time I had picked her up from the vet a couple of hours later, I was set on her name. Upon bringing her home, I surprised Marsha with our new cat, and introduced her as “Wilma.”
Since that time, Wilma has established herself as the dominant one even if she is much smaller than Eddie. She’s fearless and bossy when it comes to interacting with Eddie—constantly policing him in everything he does. One friend of mine refers to her as a fashionista because of her formal, all-black appearance. She is vocal, playful and loves to sit on my lap in the morning over coffee—only after she’s been fed.
mdt1960 