Cruiser the Cat from Rusty P. in Florida, USA

It was inevitable that after two and a half years together that Sue would become expectant. Yes, Sue expected to get another cat to replace the petite Miss Priss that she had loved for years. A slight, shy, gray striped female cat, Miss Priss was still a warm and fond memory to Sue.

It would take an extraordinary cat to replace Miss Priss, so Sue thought about it for a long time before deciding to get another. This one, however, would be a little different. Male, declawed, neutered, larger, but just as friendly and playful. So one day Sue made a decision and said to me, “We’re going to have a little one.”

Gumby

And I was thrilled to think that soon we would hear the pitter patter of little feet. The search began almost immediately as Sue went to her computer and began to ask Google for sites on the web that advertised cats for adoption, such as the Humane Society and the local SPCA. In no time she found a gray cat at the Humane Society that seemed to match her desires. It was named simply “Kit”. That would have to change to something more in line with our interests and lifestyle.

We set off in our little PT Cruiser and found the Humane Society on the outskirts of Brooksville, Florida, One of the buildings was appropriately named the Cat House. There must have been two dozen or more cats of various sizes, ages, and colors nestled in cages in one room. There were grays and whites and blacks, kittens and mature cats, active and sleepy ones. Kit was lying peacefully in a cage as we entered with a smokey white one caged below. The white one, younger and smaller, reached a paw out and seemed to say that she ought to be the chosen one, look how playful I am.

We looked at them all as they responded to our fingers through the cage bars. Two young black ones were particularly appealing and friendly as they pawed playfully with our finger. Others just nuzzled the bars out of curiosity. Kit ambled over to the side of the cage and smelled our fingers, seemed to accept them, and then stared wistfully at us. For Sue it was love at first sight. Within a half hour we had made all arrangements, placed Kit in a cat carrier, and prepared to take Kit home in our PT Cruiser.

The ride was fine. The cat seemed content as Sue stroked him and cooed at him. Indeed, the cat even seemed to enjoy the ride. We discussed a new name for the cat, and in his docile state, my first suggestion was calling him Felix, The Comic Cat. Sue rejected that. Next I volunteered Bruiser, The Attack Cat. Sue rejected that also. And then byinspiration I called out PT Cruiser, The Cat That Likes to Ride. And believe it or not, Sue liked the name of Cruiser. And that’s how Kit the cat became Cruiser the Cat.

Cruiser, our male cat, was introduced to our house about four in the afternoon. Nice day, plenty of sunshine. And the house was warm and cozy. But that apparently did not impress Cruiser as he touched the floor and looked around with fright. And fright soon turned into flight. Cruiser promptly disappeared under a couch and there was no way he was going to be coaxed out. We tried tasty cat bits, water, bouncing balls, crumpled paper, yarn, and even play toys like cloth mice. Nothing worked.

We finally tipped the couch and Sue picked him up and cradled Cruiser gently in her arms. Sue sat on the couch and cuddled the cat with a blanket and the cat dove deep under the blanket where we could see only some whiskers and two eyes peering out. Well, this is somewhat normal for a cat that has been brought into a strange environment by two strange people. That’s not to say that Sue and I are strange people. A little crazy maybe. But I guess we were strange and new to this cat.

Whenever we retrieved Cruiser from beneath a chair, couch, bed, or whatever, we tried to be loving parents and we petted and brushed Cruiser quite gently. He did manage to do a little exploring and found that he could hide most anywhere, preferring beds and couches but also hiding behind the verticals. Of course, this was a little disconcerting to us so we reviewed the contract for the cat and it gave us five days to determine if we wanted to keep or exchange the cat.

On the plus side, Cruiser made no noise, did not scratch anything, and did seem to like the petting and brushing. On the minus side, it was getting tough to see the cat while bending over and looking under beds and couches. At this point Sue was referring to the cat as “she” while I used “it”.

The second night we brought “it “ into our bedroom with a cat litter box, food and water, then closed the door. We retired to bed and waited. Within an hour the cat emerged from his underground hideout and actually came up on the bed and began to explore the bed, the night stands, the dressers, the drapes, and all things it could either crawl under, prowl over, or sniff. And then a miracle occurred. He settled down at the bottom of the bed and rested there for most of the night.

The next morning the cat joined us for breakfast until he heard a doorbell, noticed that the door to the bedroom was open, and quickly bolted to the bedroom and disappeared into the depths of the underside of the bed. And he remained there for hours. Nothing coaxed him out. We reviewed the contract again to be sure the option to return him was still in effect.

It was early evening when I was on my way into the bedroom to fetch something and I saw this apparition peering at me from our bedroom doorway. It was Cruiser, sitting at the door, awaiting our return to the bedroom for a good night’s sleep. And he joined us once again at the foot of the bed for the night. Sue and I no longer call the cat “she” or “it”. The cat is now called “Cruiser”. He has earned the right to be referred to by his proper name. And we no longer review the return option in the contract. For better or for worse, Cruiser is ours to keep.

And this is just the beginning of the story of Cruiser the Cat.

I have so far been unable to upload the correct photo, but Cruiser is a black and white cat. The cat on the page (temporarily) is my sister's cat Gumby.