The Epitome of Indifference: An Introduction

Leo's namesake.

Leo, short for Leonidas, is six months old now, and we have had him since he was just two months old.

He was rescued from the Humane Society of North Texas on December 18, 2011. It sounded like he was born there, and all of his litter-mates had already been adopted. He was last to go because he was a sick little guy. No one wanted the sick kitten. In fact, he was to be euthanized the day we took him home, but got a reprieve by the woman working there.

At first, I was highly uncertain about getting a cat. Well, any pet really, especially a sick little kitten. But, it was a gift from my fella's grandmother, and the poor dude was on death row for being sickly. So, we saved him.

On his way to his
fur-ever home.

The past four months have been crazy. He has grown by leaps and bounds, and, speaking of which, does a lot of leaping and bounding around. So much so that we have a spray bottle at the ready, the chairs covered with towels, and two destructive accidents under our belts. Typical kitten behavior? Probably. For someone who has never had a pet of her own, save for a few goldfish, well, it has been a big eye-opener.



He has caused me lots of stress and some grief, including probable allergies, but he is so sweet, cuddly, and such a character I have become quite attached to him, and he to me, I believe. My allergies to him have gotten better, and he is no longer sick, though I think he and I have the same allergies since we both sneeze and have stuffy noses at the same times. His crazy, kitten ways have started to simmer down some. It seemed like once his four-month birthday (February 7) hit, he totally mellowed out. He still gets quite playful, and yes, sometimes a little crazy, but it is not nearly as bad as it was.

Leo snoozing next to me.

I really love that he is playful, and that he is such a people-cat. Leo really just wants to be around his people. Even as I type this he is asleep on the bed next to me. He also follows me into the kitchen, too, and will just lay around while I cook or do dishes. One of my favorite things is when he jumps up in my lap while I am watching TV or a movie and gets sleepy. So cute!

My silly, green-eyed boy.

Charlie by Diane Fox Downs

Plus, he sure is one handsome kitty. A cool, dark orange, and pretty olive-green eyes. Sometimes I wish that I had named him Charlie, after one of my beloved childhood Little Golden Books by Diane Fox Downs. The title character is an orange alley cat who likes to play "tiger in the grass." But, Leonidas is pretty darn cool, and "Leo" is also in honor of the MGM logo lion, so he has got some good nomenclatural genes.

"I love cats! They're the epitome of indifference!” 

— Amy Farrah Fowler, The Big Bang Theory

Leo et moi

He seems to be growing up to be a pretty cool cat. He loves to cuddle, head-butt, and lick you; he will sleep in your lap as long as you will let him; he is comfortable with the camera and very photogenic; and he is very playful and lots of fun. I have been told on numerous occasions that Leo is "my cat." He does seem to be the most comfortable around me, but I have been with him the whole time he's been home. Secretly, though, I do like that he prefers my company. ::smiles::

Not too bad for a first pet.

I have always been an animal lover, even though I was never allowed any pets — besides those goldfish, I mean. Lucky for me, my aunt had a wonderful English Springer Spaniel, my grandma had dogs and a kitty, and my best friend also had dogs and cats. So, I did get my fill of animal love growing up. I would not call myself an activist, but I believe in animal rights and shelter adoption. So, I am so glad that I was able to rescue Leo from the Humane Society; he has brought us so much love and many smiles and laughs.

I started this blog to have a special place to share some of those memories, as well as information on pet care I may find and organizations who help animals. I hope you find it amusing and informative, and that you come to love little Leo as much as I do.

— E & L