Lose One, Gain Another

Stuart and I were more afraid of telling our landlord about Binx than we were about the responsibility of keeping him. On the second night, Binx slept in Stuart's bed, kneading away at anything he could get his paws on. He also fell in love with Stuart's giant stuffed dog and mounted like a pro. ...Uh oh!
That night, I bought him a toy and a stuffed puppy dog from the toy section of Wal-Mart. He kneaded the dog to bits and still loves it today. Aggressively, he played with a "Flutter Ball," or a ball with fake feathers on the end. He was spastic, rolling and running and attacking!! It nearly dangerous for us to play with him as hooked his talon-like claws into the toy.

Quickly, a routine was established. Sparta would spend time in the living room with me while Stuart played with Binx in his bedroom. Then, Binx would wander around the house while Sparta stayed in my bedroom. Then, Sparta would get the house again while Binx played outside on his own.
At first, Stuart and I were extremely wary of letting Binx outside alone. First, we refused to do so until we purchased an identification tag and rabies vaccine. Then, we would follow him around at varying distances to let him grow accustomed to his new territory. However, while Binx wants nothing more than to be outside in the grass and the sunshine constantly, his fear of being abandoned or lost again overrides that desire, and he'll stick to our sides like glue. If I try to go inside or close the door, he'll come running from whichever corner of the yard. If I try to close the door when he's inside, he'll come running from whichever corner of the house to go back outside.

The last time I had an outdoor cat, he disappeared. Frisky was my love and joy. He was a Maine Coon mix with a fluffy tail and the sweetest face with a beautiful orange coat. He played, snuggled, licked my ear to wake me up, and was the perfect cat. He was also an indoor/outdoor cat. While we were at school, he played outside in the woods behind our house then came home when we did. One day, Father let him out at his usual time of 5:30 a.m. We returned from school. Hours went by, and no Frisky. We searched the woods, called the animal shelter, and asked the neighbors. Frisky was never seen again.
After this experience, everything in me screams never to let Binx outside without supervision. In fact, I typically pace the windows trying to follow his every movement when he is outside. However, it would be mean to force the outdoor-loving cat into the lifestyle a lazy house cat, and it would be nearly impossible for him to roam and be free as much with him and Sparta refusing to get along. So, outside he goes.

Binx

Soon after we found Binx, however, another stray showed up... this time a young black lab mix. He was boisterous and friendly. He also loved to chase Binx. Where he came from, we never found out, but it was clear to us that he needed to go. Our landlord, who despises dogs, also was fed up with him since he'd wander onto his property looking for treats and a petting. His first encounter with Binx included Stuart making a mad dash for the back door with Binx's talons locked deep into the skin of Stuart's back. He also ran around in the road, begging to be run over. Then, one morning he began howling from loneliness at 8 a.m. continuously. Nope, that was enough!
 That afternoon, Stuart and I loaded him in the back of my Honda and dropped him off at the shelter where he was named Bronco. We knew he'd get adopted: he was still a puppy and gorgeous. Also, he'd be warm and get daily food and clean water. Mission accomplished.
Then, on November 7, disaster struck. As I was playing with Binx outside, my cell phone started ringing. Unable to answer, it went to voice mail. It was my mother calling to tell me that it was time to say good bye to my childhood cat Piddy Paws. For two weeks, Piddy had been struggling to breathe, and the vet said there was nothing they could do for him. It was that day to make the decision every pet owner dreads.

Piddy Paws

15 minutes later, I checked my phone to read two text messages.
One read, "Piddy has taken a turn for the worse. Taking him two vet shortly and depending on what they say, I will decide what to do. Wanted you to know it could be today."
The other said, "Piddy's heart murmur has caused congestive heart failure like I emailed you. Nothing they could do and he was suffering. He is at peace now. I pick up his remains in couple of days as you requested."
As I stared out at Binx pouncing in the overgrown grass, I didn't know how to absorb the shock of the loss of Piddy Paws. What I wanted more than anything was to hold Sparta forever, but he soon wriggled out of my grasp. Devastated as I was, Piddy Paws' death was something I had prepared myself for. I had said my good byes earlier when I first learned that he wasn't doing well. I knew then that it was highly unlikely he would see another Christmas.
Binx will never take Piddy Paws' place. There's no replacing that big, fat, silly cat, but Binx certainly entered my life at the perfect time. And, thankfully our landlord said we could keep him. Thank goodness because I couldn't have lost a second cat in less than a week!

Rest in peace