Chloe the Cat

Yesterday was a sad day indeed for the Atchley family. Chloe the Cat found a good home. After 7 years as my trusty kitty companion, we bid adieu to the fat cat.

From the beginning:

Allen adopted Chloe as a wee kitten when she was a mere 6 weeks old. He adopted her from the SPCA on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, TN. He adopted her after I had moved out of my apartment at College Park (where I lived with Ashley) ... I was very sad to leave CP, but it was for the best given the circumstances and the new evil roomies. Sooo... I was on my own and in need of some kitty companionship.

Chloe came to me as a very big little kitten. In other words, she was a big-boned kitty. I wish I had some digital pics to show you. And she LOVED kitten food, something that she never grew out of. I called her my pudgy princess. So it was just me and the Chloe Bear until I got married ... little did Allen know that when he adopted Chloe for me that we were a forever deal. He is deathly allergic to cats!

Anyway, so she was always there for me. I have so many stories -- like the time she had worms. I won't go into the details, but lets just say that I'm still traumatized after Allen had to prescribe me mebendazole. Omg, ick.

Allen and I got married and several years later we got pregnant ... with twins... who arrived prematurely.

In an effort to keep an allergen-free home for my two new preemies, we moved Chloe to our screened-in porch with the thought that we would move her back inside when the twins were one year old and had more established immune systems. Well, I went and got knocked up again when they were just 10 months old. Sooo... not knowing if this baby is going to premature as well, we just didn't see when we could bring her inside.

Beside that, she had adjusted to the outside, but barely. Girlfriend was so fat that she was having a hard time in the heat. Moreover, we felt so bad for keeping her on our porch that we let her free-feed. She probably gained 5 pounds in a year. For cats, this is huge. So, Chloe was obviously not getting the best care that she could or deserved.

To make a long story short, we decided to find her a better home.

I tried several different means to find her a good home: I sent emails to the Durham Mother's Club, Duke Spouses Group, our neighborhood list serv, emails to family, friends, etc., as well as posting an ad at our Vet's office and finally, after a few hits, several bites that didn't work out and not enough interest, I resorted to Craig's list and the Independent.

I'm fully convinced that you can "get rid of" anything on Craig's List. Within an hour, I received a hit for Chloe.

After several interrogative (is that a word?) emails, I decided to arrange for a visit to see if it was a good fit. Kat Dewalt ... you are my new hero. Chloe, sassy pants and all, really took to her. This put my heart at ease.

So, a couple days later (yesterday), Kat came to pick up her new family member. I am so relieved ... yet incredibly saddened.

Chloe the Cat was my bestest kitty friend and now she is with Kat the Human. I know Kat will do Chloe right and give her what she deserves -- a lap to sit in and undivided attention, as well as rubbins.

Thanks, Kat.