So I was going to post a feel good Friday, but I'm in a bit more of a mellow mood, so I figured it would be a nice time to talk about something that has always stabilized me after the horrible times: My cats.
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Yes I am an animal person. Growing up in suburbia, my family always had pets. Cats to be specific, though we had dogs quite a bit too. The first year I moved out and get a ferret that I named Wallace. Sadly despite my love the for the furry little bastard and his constant crazy hoopla, I couldn't keep him when I moved. I know a lot of people here would immediately say "Well then you just don't move and keep the pet", and you'd normally be right. Wallace had a brother named Ivan (my roomie's ferret), and Ivan had been with Wallace since he was old enough to be sold, so Wallace was a little part of his life. I gave my ferret to my roomie when we parted ways, knowing it would be much better for them to be together. It was a crushing decision and I hated walking away from them, but this led to my... *cough* Abundance of cats.
I couldn't live alone in an apartment, and so the day I moved into my second apartment in Verdun, my parents took me out and found me Azreal. Azreal literally stole my heart and we joke it was fate that I find him. The first pet store we visited just wouldn't send someone to come and let me play with the little ginger kitten I'd spotted and we stormed out, my father, undeterred, drove off the island of montreal and just found a new pet store (Because we're getting Devin a cat means we're getting Devin a cat). There I found Azreal and was told immediately by the pet shop owner that I didn't want him for my first cat. He was aggressive, a troublemaker, and a spitfire. He walked right up to me, bit me, and promptly fell into my arms before running off to slam his head into the wall in a fit of energy. Needless to say, I promptly told the lady she didn't know what she was talking about, and that I'd take him.
I took him home and he was everything I ever wanted. He loved to play, adored cuddling, and was enough of an asshole to remind me he was still a cat. After I got him fixed, I went shopping for some food and spotted a little Calico in the window of the pet shop. I'm weak. I'm really not a strong person. I bought the fucker. He was everything Azreal was, but smaller. He was literal energized Chaos, but Chaos is cliche as a cat name, so I went full hipster, translated Chaos into Latin and named my cat Caedes. He and Azreal were the best of friends immediately
Were' still not sure if "Friends" was the right word for these two. Azreal was pure muscle and Caedes... He had a fat sac hanging down, but they were inseparable.
Jump forward two years and after moving into my third apartment, my lady's sister tells me she found a kitten in the woods while camping and they simply couldn't keep him. THey would pay 1/2 the vet bills if I would take him and of course, being weak (I mentioned that you know), I took him in. I named him Talen after a thief in one of my favorite books (I had to keep him in a collar and bell, he's a ninja). Talen was more demon than cat, and terrorized even Azreal about all day long. He wasn't a very welcome addition at first, keeping me up for nights and nights on end, but he's grown on me and become one of the cuddlier cats.
Not pictured: Talen has an ass... Like... An ass that won't quite. Like... Crazy Junk in that trunk...
I won't go into the details, but a few months ago I lost Azreal to an illness he had for many months. I hate the idea of having favorites, but Azrteal was always my cat and there when I was down, depressed, or just having the slightest of off days. He knew me inside and out and I'd always hoped he'd be there with me until I he was an old bastard. I'll miss him, but I can't forget that I still have two wonderful little guys that make me happy at the end of the day.