Introducing: Calvin

Part III in the introduction to our armada of cats.

Calvin was not a planned adoption. When I met the little guy, I had only vaguely thought about getting Scout a friend, as Mooch had very little interest in Scout’s psychotic brand of play. So in November of 2007, I was at a Petsmart in St. Louis Park and visiting with the adoptable cats — something I do at every visit to the store. Immediately, I was taken by this vocal, cute little black-and-white cat who was hanging on the bars of his cage and talking to me. I pegged him at about 14-16 weeks old, and interacted with him a bit. They were closing up, so I bought the huge-ass bag of Science Diet, and went home. At home, I watched Scout try to engage in play with Mooch, and Mooch just avoid him altogether, and I felt pretty bad. I decided to get Calvin. I called Petsmart the next day at opening time and they put him on hold for me. Tuesday, I got there too late and the adoption center was closed. On Wednesday, I went in, paid the $150 fee, and filled out the paperwork.

I was surprised to discover that Calvin was actually 6 months old and had started life in Ohio. He was a runt because he had been a very sickly kitten — horrible ear mites, a bad case of worms, a skin condition, and chronic ear and upper respiratory infections. He was going to be put down by the shelter he was at, but was rescued and then passed around to a few groups, and made his way to Minnesota.

He was out of the kitty carrier much faster than I had planned, nothing but legs and hyperactive joy at being outside a cage. Mooch was okay with him and was responsive to gentle play — and she took the new arrival far better than Scout did. Scout? Not happy. At all. The first couple of days, there was a lot of growling and hissing and hurt feelings.

Four days into the deal, I instituted the Chicken Juice Treaty of 2007. I was making a cold salad that required canned chicken. I took the chicken water, poured it onto a plate, and set it on the kitchen floor. The end result was three cats eating off the same dinner plate, and instant household harmony.

The end result was a tight bond between Calvin and Scout. They’ve become best friends. Mooch and Calvin had a decent bond going, too — when she was home for the few days before we had her put down, Calvin stuck by her side and was very protective of her.

He’s an awesome cat. Loves his people, loves the other cats (well, he’s in a dominance war with Happy), and is a joy to have around. He’s tied with Happy for second place on the List of Awesome Cats in the House. Oh yeah, and he’s a total daddy’s boy.

Nicknames: Calviano, Vino, Little Man, Goofball, Spaz

Age: 2.5.