consolejockey

I’ve got a new house mate. His name is Simon, and as you can see, he is a Siamese mix. He’s 5 years old and is about the nicest cat I’ve ever met.

Not too long ago, the idea of welcoming another cat into my life would have been unthinkable. Izzy’s death hit me really hard. I can’t say I’m over it even now. But a chain of events that started three years ago lead to me taking in this chubby ball of friendly fur.

It began three years ago with Nancy finding Simon wandering around her then boyfriend’s apartment complex, abandoned by his previous owners. Nancy really wanted to adopt Simon, but after a trip to the vet, Simon was diagnosed as being positive for Feline Leukemia. Nancy already had a cat at this point, and unlike the human variety of Leukemia, Feline Leukemia is a virus and can be spread to other cats. So she had to find a home for Simon. After much searching Nancy did find a home for Simon, with a woman who ran a cat rescue operation and has a cat sanctuary in her west Austin home. The woman Nancy found also had a Feline Leukemia positive cat that she was looking for a companion for, named Lukas.

For three years Simon lived more or less in quarantine with his best pal, Lukas. Then, quite suddenly, Lukas died, but not of Leukemia, of other health complications. Simon then went into a state of depression. He was devastated by the loss of his long time friend. He ate less and wanted nothing to do with the other cats at the sanctuary, which he was now allowed to interact with.

The Veterinarian who examined Lukas determined he did not have Leukemia and never did. So Simon was retested, and it was found that he didn’t have Leukemia either. False positives are rare but not unheard of with testing for Feline Leukemia. This meant that Simon was suitable for adoption. After much searching through old records and calling contacts, the woman who runs the sanctuary managed to track Nancy down and offered to let her adopt Simon.

Nancy had since adopted another cat, making her one bedroom apartment pretty much at cat capacity with two cats. But she still wanted to stay in contact with Simon. Over the years she had always wondered what happened to Simon. After three years she assumed he had no doubt succumbed to his disease. To hear he was alive and well (and a little over weight) was more than a pleasant surprise. She immediately called me and convinced me I had to adopt him.

Since Izzy died I’ve been in a cloud of gray and my house has felt very empty. Especially now that I’m working from home. I had a choice, I could continue to stare sadly at the hole in my life that Izzy’s passing had left, or I could try and move on. Simon lost his friend, I lost mine, it seemed only natural that we should keep each other company and help each other heal.

Today was my first day with Simon. He’s at my house on a trial basis. Assuming he and I get along and he likes living with me, it will be permanent. I also need to have him tested again for Leukemia just to make sure his last test wasn’t a false negative. But given his health and age, it’s unlikely he has it.

So, everyone, meet Simon.