Catsby saves the day 😻 🐈‍⬛

This is how my cat in DC scored us a flat in Lisbon.

Yes, I’m a so-called “crazy cat lady”. Proud of it. If kitties aren’t your thing, scroll to the end. For the rest of you, enjoy.

I met her in 2016. At the time, my boyfriend was in the Marines. Whenever Cat Dad deployed, I’d look after his feline. (Not Catsby.) Later that year, when the relationship ended, so did my catsitting days.

Newly single and living alone, I felt lonely.

Weekdays, whenever I returned from work, I’d grown accustomed to whiskers & soft, pointy ears peeking around the corner to welcome me home. Where were my warm greetings now? I missed being missed. I missed furry snuggles & cuddles. Toe beans. Purrs. I wanted it all back again.

This is how I arrived at the Humane Society in Washington, DC. No longer my lover but always a supportive friend, my ex accompanied me.

I didn’t know what kind of cat I wanted, but I knew what I didn’t want. I could never love a cat that didn’t like to be pet, always hid, refused to interact with me, and only expected me to feed it & clean up its shit. I wanted a pet, not a chore. So, I warned folks at the shelter, “I need a very, very needy cat.”

My ex laughed. “Like owner, like pet.”

Fair enough. I expect, and give, a lot of attention. Take heed.

Unsurprisingly, after I entered the play room, I fell in love with the gorgeous 2-year-old tuxedo kitty who jumped on my lap & demanded I snuggle her. They told me she’d been transferred from a kill shelter in Baltimore. I wondered: “Who the fuck would send such a beautiful creature to an incinerator?” Only a monster.

I named her The Great Catsby. Her adoptervesary is May 14, 2016, and we've been inseparable for the past six years.

Well, kind of.

In lieu of subjecting her to multiple international flights during my Lisbon house hunt, I parked her at her auntie Maggie’s house with her brother Fitzy. Though her auntie sends photos, I haven’t held Catsby in 4 weeks. I miss her. As she gets spoiled in DC instead, I’ll sort out our Lisbon housing.

As an update, since finding the right place to purchase might take a little while, I've decided to rent for now to take the pressure off. Luckily, a fellow American expat living in Lisbon connected me to a spectacular two bedroom available for rent. The problem: He didn’t want to accept pets in the rental. So, I sent him a couple questions via WhatsApp.

We move in June 1. The lease’s generous cancellation policy requires 60 days notice. It takes two months to close on a house, so the timing works out well.

Thank you, Catsby! (Mama loves you.) I think it’s safe to safe I never got a rescue cat; I have a wonderful little soul who rescues me over and over again.