“Honey, you’ve gotta see this cat!” my wife called from the other room. Having adopted a sweet little tortie from LHS just a few months previous, we weren’t looking for another cat for ourselves – we were just trying to help a friend find her match. But the minute I saw Polly Prissy Pants’ photo, I felt a tug on my heart. I just knew she was supposed to be my cat. I called to see if she was still available – she was! When I went to pick her up after finalizing the adoption – but having never met Prissy in person – the front desk staff said she “must have known you were coming to get her today.” She had been agitating in her kennel so much that morning that the staff finally just brought her up to reception to hang out with them until I picked her up.
As they handed her to me in her carrier, Prissy looked me straight in the eye and meowed softly, purring. We took a few minutes to get acquainted in the car before setting off for home, with her purring and rubbing her head against my hand. We were off to a great start. At that point, 15 years ago, I could not have imagined that she would live to be 19 years old! And she’s still going!
As we got to know Prissy, we discovered many things. Right away we knew that “Polly Prissy Pants,” her shelter name, was perfect. Here are a few of her favorite things, and our favorite things about her:
- She has heart shaped markings on her side, face, and backs of her ankles.
- One eye is a little more green, the other a little more gold.
- She has a shorter coat in summer, a longer coat in winter with a big ruff, and a curly tummy.
- Prissy is a one-person cat. She bonded strongly with me, making it very clear that I was her person!
- She’s not a lap cat, but does love attention. We have a morning ritual, including playing with drawstrings on clothes, and grooming with her Zoom Groom. She initiates by waiting at a certain spot – and lets me know if I’m taking too long to get there!
- She loves being outside in both warm and cool weather, and still insists on going out most days. She especially loves “Garden Tours with Mom,” though they’re much shorter than they used to be when she was younger. She doesn’t often venture far from the patio, but still loves to lounge next to the catnip plants.* *For anyone wondering – Prissy’s outside time is limited to supervised “kitty enrichment” time in our fenced backyard. We *do not* allow her out of our yard at any time!
- Soft catnip toys, drawstrings on clothes (or any string really), and dog toys – especially tennis balls – are among her favorites.
Prissy spends a lot of time napping these days. She has a pretty special bond with one of our other cats, Silas (formerly known as Intrepid) – our most recent LHS alum. The two of them are great nap buddies.
Prissy is one of the most unique cats I’ve ever lived with. She is beautiful and knows it. Her description at LHS said she “loves to prance, and swoosh her pretty tail around!” which is absolutely true. She is funny, sometimes rolling around flirtatiously (which earned her the nickname “Flirty Floof”). She is very loving. She even gives kisses! Prissy has outlived three of our cats who were her early contemporaries. She now has three more cat friends at home and seems to be thoroughly enjoying life.
I’m so glad I followed my heart and brought her home. Fate brought us together through Lawrence Humane, and both our lives are better for it.
– Lisa & Becky
