Welcoming Housemate

I didn't really welcome the idea when my son first asked if the cat could come live with us. It was almost ten years ago that W. wanted to bring home the gray striped and white kitten. He had many reasons why our house needed and would benefit from a new pet.

Reluctantly, I agreed. The cat settled in quickly with our current dog, a friendly beagle mix. The cat preferred being outdoors, especially at night, then slept during the day. He really wasn't much trouble, just as my son had predicted.

Now the kids have all moved away from our home. But the cat stayed behind with me. Now I am the caretaker of Kitty or Thor (somehow he ended up with two diametrically different names).

Now Thor is an old cat. He stays inside and moves slowly. Last summer he pulled through a particularly tough illness which which I was not sure he'd recover from.

But Thor/Kitty has become a companion of sorts. Each time I come home or rise in the morning, he is there, although brief, to greet me. Not the type to require a lap to sit upon or need petting, Thor will travel to find me in the house and lay in the same room. He is the welcoming housemate.