If you‘re reading this, then you‘re probably already familiar with the story behind this article. Thank you for sticking around. And if you’re not familiar, then I encourage you to check out the prequel.
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A couple of hours after I published the previous article and signed off work, I had my interview with Chai, one of the adoption coordinators for El Gato Coffeehouse.
The conversation lasted about 30 minutes and the questions were not so much invasive, but rather personal, to ensure they knew where I was coming from and see if I was prepared for the responsibilities. We talked about what previous experience I had with cats, and just owning a pet in general.
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I told them everything I knew, which was mostly trial and error because until getting Scratchy, I genuinely had no idea how to care for a cat. But they’re pretty independent and I spoiled Scratchy, so I pretty much let her do whatever she want (within reason).
Chai also asked about what happened to Scratchy and I spared her much of the heartbreaking details but she could tell how much her passing left a hole in me and my wife’s heart. I even showed her the memorial we set up in our home. Even she admitted Cholula and Scratchy looked alike.
The vet records for my other two fur babies were up to date as well so, all things considered, it shouldn‘t have been a surprise I got approved for the sleepover.
According to the email I received, the sleepover period lasts about a week, which should give me ample time to decide if we’re all a right fit for one another. Plus, it takes cats a while to adjust to a new environment. They’re not like dogs where you can just take them wherever.
I told my wife about the good news and tried to coordinate a day that would be most appropriate for us to pick up our (hopefully) new addition to the family. We ended up agreeing that I would pick her up after work later today and the adoption coordinators said they’d be waiting patiently.
We could hardly sleep because it was a mix of emotions. Excited that our home would feel full again, but depressed because we were questioning ourselves. “Were we ‘replacing’ Scratchy to fill a void? If so, how could we?!”
My close friends and even coworkers who went through similar struggles were more than supportive in this journey including Bill Spencer and Bill Barajas, who straight up told me I shouldn’t think about it like that.
We closed our eyes after finalizing a new name for our hopeful furbaby: Zelda. Not only is the name taken from the popular eponymous video game, but one of the last photos my wife took with Scratchy (to send to her father) was with a copy of the newly released game I got her as a gift.
I‘m hoping for the best when I bring Zelda home to introduce her to our family but only time will tell. If you‘ve gotten this far and are still rooting for us, then click here to find out what happened when I brought her over for a “sleepover.”