Good Bye Koosh!

Today we are giving away our cat.

We've had him since 2003. Ian was 11 years old and he wanted a cat. Joe said No. I am totally allergic to cats, but Ian really wanted one, so, after much debate about short-haired vs long-haired cats and how we would keep the cat away from me, I took Ian to the Ferel Cat Lady of Inverness. 

We drove up to Inverness with a cat carrier. We walked into her house. It was kind of dark. This lady  had dozens of cats in different rooms, but it wasn't too weird. She just loved cats, and wanted to find them homes.

She took one look at Ian and sat him down, and said Wait right here. After a few minutes, she brought over the sweetest four-month old tabby kitten with orange hair that matched Ian's. It was instant love.

The cat hid for the first couple of days at our house. At one point we thought we'd lost him, and the kids made signs to post in the neighborhood. It turned out he was hiding on a shelf in Ian's room.

His name was Basil at first, but he became The Koosho. The Koosh. The Shoke.

The Koosh is the best cat in the world. Everyone loves The Koosh.  Joe loves The Koosh more than just about anyone.

The Koosh is fiercely independent, and loved living in Bolinas where he roamed freely. He always let us know when he wanted to come in or out. He never complained.

When we moved to the City, we left him at the house with our new tenants. The boys were around  and fed him. But at some point there were several dogs living in the house, and The Koosh would hide up in the attic for days at a time.

So we brought him to the City.

The Koosh is not a City cat.

He's crying right now, lonely for the outdoor world, and his kitty friends and all the wildlife that he can torture, kill and snack upon. Where he can poop in the sunshine and wild grass and hide it, never in the same exact place twice.

So today, we are giving him to someone in Bolinas who really wants him. We've all said our good bye's. He doesn't know it yet, but he's about to get his freedom again.

Tomorrow Ian leaves, too. But he'll be back.

We'll miss you, silly cat.