New Kat On The Block

People who have known us for long (I’d say a few days is enough) know that Jesse and I are animal lovers. Only one of our five pets was personally selected by us. The rest were abandoned or lost and we found ourselves (more or less) adopted.

Chewbacca is the newcomer. Chewie for short, of course. We thought he looked like the big “wookie” from Star Wars, with his long hair, big body, and exceptionally big hairy paws. Oh, and don’t forget a voice that could stop (or start) a riot. He is probably the most vocal cat I’ve ever had.

Chewie also has two other exceptional characteristics: He has “thumbs,” the toe that usually sits back on the inside of the paw is long, nimble and extends beyond and separate from his other toes. He uses his thumbs for grasping things, and I expect any day to discover him with a pair of scissors, cutting out paper dolls!

His second somewhat unique trait is that he appears to love water. He wades in the canal, jumps into the birdbath, and I often find him splashing the water in the toilet with his paws. It will be interesting to see if he swims in the canal when it is deeper.

The sad part of this story is that we don’t know if Chewie was lost or abandoned. When he arrived at our back door during the Christmas season, he was so thin that we were afraid to pet him much. He appears to have been in some kind of accident, either a car, or possibly abused by someone, because he has some badly mended ribs, and his gait is a little stiff. He also has been declawed and neutered, so he did not really have the “right stuff” for surviving in the wild. In addition, he has a microchip, but his former owners did not register it, and no one answered my Lost and Found ad.

So Chewie is a beloved member of our family and has adapted well. He’s gained about four pounds, his nose and gums are no longer white, but a healthy pink, and Jesse is his new best friend. If Jesse is at home, Chewie is usually tagging along, and he sleeps next to him at night. I’m only the person who feeds him, and pets him if his best friend isn’t nearby!