Instead, I Got Mingus

I’m more of a dog person. I used to be afraid of cats and now I own one. An orange one. A feisty one. I thought I was getting a sweet boy who I could cuddle. Instead, I got Mingus.

Mingus is a rescue. The only orange kitty in a litter of black and white cats. I’ve only ever had dogs growing up and I wouldn’t believe you if you told my past self I would be a cat owner some day. In fact, I always thought I’d get a bigger dog to compliment Savi’s tiny little sassy self. Instead, I got Mingus.

B’s family has always had cats. But no matter how many cats they had or how different they were… hairless, Persian, Scottish fold, a tabby from the streets, none of them could replace Balls- originally Leroy. Balls was an orange and white cat that spent at least 15 ish years with B. B never imagined replacing Balls. Instead, we got Mingus.

Mingus is turning 2 in September. I’m not scared of him. He makes me laugh and sometimes gives me a few seconds of love. But he’s also a savage. He’s knocked over more glasses of water than I can count, chewed through my laptop charger in the midst of remote learning when COVID started last year as well as the wire to our new TV, broke my glass container that held q-tips in the bathroom and scratched the crap out of our couch….. I thought I was going to become a fur mama who loved both of her sweet little angel babies. Instead, I got Mingus.

Peter Dink is a hairless bambino. He’s the newest member of B’s family’s pets. After scratching a new headboard, he got some cat claw caps. He looked so fabulous that it inspired my last slice. He was pretty calm and tired when they put on the claw caps, L said. They should last for about 3 months. Much more feasible and more humane than declawing a cat. Instead, he gets to look fancy as ever and not scratch a new headboard. Cat claw caps would solve our scratched up couch problem if we had a calm and cool cat like Peter Dink- instead, I got Mingus.

Mingus can be a sweet boy. Sometimes he sniffs my face ever so gently when I’m resting my eyes on the couch. Other times he attacks my ankles as soon as I walk out of my bedroom in the morning. He doesn’t meow… like…. ever. And if he does, it startles us. He loves popsicle sticks, bags and boxes. He tries to desperately win the love of Savi but she wants nothing to do with him.

I thought I was getting a normal cat, but instead, I got Mingus.

Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by