Willy

Adopting Willy was a case of mistaken identity. I saw his adorable little mug on the HART web site and I thought, "Hmmmm, what a sweet little boy". I asked a friend to stop by the shelter and play with him for a bit. I wanted to know what his personality was like. She did and reported back that he was very sweet and mellow (I have this in writing). I found out later, AFTER having this small whirlwind deposited on my door step, that she had been playing with the wrong kitten. Willy, it turns out, was the wild one that kept trying to escape when she reached into their cage to play with his sister.

Willy is my fifth cat and third kitten. I was in the pet industry for over ten years. I love cats and am no stranger to kittens, but this cat beats all. I have never met a cat so bent on mischief.

The HART adoption page listed Willy's breed as a Domestic Short Hair. I think he's a cross between a jaguar and a raccoon. He prowls the house like a small jaguar, head held low, shoulder blades sliding back and forth beneath his spotted coat. He has this odd, guttural squeak that he emits when he's cruising the house, looking for something to mess with. His claws sharpen remarkably quickly after I trim them. I have seen him attempt to drag his "prey" between his front legs and carry it off to his secret stash.

I wish I could find his secret stash because it now contains my spare car key. Any object small enough to be carried in his mouth will be carted off and stashed somewhere. This includes eyeglasses, pens, keys, iPods, tweezers, nail trimmers, emery boards, and even the remote control for the TV. If I don't catch him in the act, these things are gone forever. I've moved every piece of furniture, looked under every radiator. I have no idea where he hides this stuff.

When he needs a break from chewing on the house plants, climbing in the kitchen sink, playing in the bathtub, stealing the dogs' toys, and making small household objects disappear, he calmly strolls over, flops down on my head, my lap or the laptop, and starts purring.

The saddest truth about Willy is how he has stolen our hearts. I call him obscene names and curse at him every day but he also makes me laugh. On those rare occasions that he is calm and quiet, he is adorable. He likes to sleep on his back with his little hind feet stretched way out. He has a very loud purr and it slowly sputters out as he dozes off. He plays with one of our dogs for hours and the dog doesn't wince or back down when Willy has his jaws clamped around his throat. Willy has no fear of dogs or much of anything else, really. He has such a zest for life and so much curiosity. After watching me open a basket which holds a dozen small, shiny, portable objects, he tried for an hour to get that basket open by himself. He is a determined little guy.

~K
Duluth, MN

Kittens are terminally cute, but they can have many disadvantages. They require more care and watching over, they may not have the litter box down yet, and they go through a wild phase at around 6 months of age when they are unstoppable bundles of energy.

Adult cats generally adapt just fine to new homes, and "bond" just as strongly with new owners as kittens do.