Bugg

The first cat that I adopted is also the oldest. Bugg was 8 years old when I adopted him. First, a little background about our previous cats. 

We have had many animals over the years. As time went on, we ended up with two cats that had grown up together. When one of them had passed, that left us with only one cat who was 14 years old. We first decided to wait until something happened to her and then get a couple of kittens. After a bit of time though, we could tell that she was getting depressed as she had never been alone (the only cat) before. We didn’t want a kitten as it would have been too much for her, so we started a search for an older cat to adopt. That’s how we found Bugg.

Bugg was 8 years old when we adopted him, and he had a rough start in life. He was dumped when he was about 3 years old, and the shelter trapped him and took him in. He seemed to take to another cat who had also been dumped, and they took to each other, although they wanted nothing to do with humans or any other cats. Unfortunately, the other cat tested positive for FIV. Although Bugg had tested negative, they kept the two caged together as they were so close, and happy being with each other. For the first two years living at the shelter, Bugg didn’t take to anyone and wouldn’t even allow anyone to pet him. 

Eventually, Bugg’s cage mate died and at that point Bugg got depressed without his friend. At this point the shelter had Bugg tested again for the virus, and when he tested negative again, they decided to let Bugg out into the general population in the shelter. They said at this point Bugg thrived, and he became a volunteer favorite at the shelter. 

Bugg had been at the shelter for about 5 1/2 years when I came along looking for an older cat. The shelter that I got him from is wonderful, as they make sure all cats are spayed or neutered, that they are current on all their shots, and are microchipped before adopting them out. Because of this, I did have to wait until the shelter’s vet had checked him out, given him his shots and microchipped him before taking him home. 

The day I took Bugg home was rather traumatic for him. Putting him in the carrier and bringing him home literally scared the crap out of him (he didn’t poop for 3 days after I brought him home). I tried cleaning him up the best that I could, and let him clean the rest of himself up later. I understand how nervous he was as I’m sure he saw the shelter as his safe home, and I was taking him from his home.  

It took him a while, but Bugg and our other cat, Pepper, got to know each other, and Bugg has now finally settled in and knows that we are good people, and he is in a good home. 

For those who think that an 8 ½ year old cat is too old to adopt, this story about Bugg will hopefully change your mind. Once Bugg got used to our home, he showed off his energy and his playfulness. He plays with the laser mouse more than any other cat we’ve had in a long time. When we got our younger cats that I’ll be writing about soon, they brought a lot of kitten out of him as well. He does wear out quicker than the younger ones, but he’s an awesome cat. He always greets me when I come home, and has to have his daily petting; he’s fit in well with our family. We’ve had him for 2 years now, and we expect to have him for many years to come. To give him a forever home for the second half of his life is a good feeling…both for us and for him.