Gotcha Day!

Today, 13 years ago, I chose my Mom (and she thinks she chose me)! I told you a little of my story on my birthday in September, but I want to give you a detailed account of that day now, on my official Gotcha Day!

December 11, 1995

How could she turn down that face?

December 11, 2008

Thank you, Miss Ann (Zoolatry) for my picture!

My Mom had left her teaching job (middle school mathematics) to go back to school to earn her Ph.D. At the same time, she was going through a divorce after 21 years of marriage. When her husband left, he took their 17 year old cat Muff with him. Needless to say, mom was a little "blue." Her husband and Muff had been gone for approximately 13 months when mom started getting the itch to get another kitty. She spent Thanksgiving weekend with her sister and they began talking about another cat. Mom began looking in the papers to see if she could find a Himmie or a Persian available. She said there was an ad for some Himmies in the paper and when she called, they were all gone.

A couple of weeks later, Mom went back to Columbia to visit her parents and to get her hair cut. She also stopped by her former middle school to visit some of her friends. There was a pet store near the school and Mom decided to stop in to see what they had. It must have been her lucky day because there was a sign on the door that said "Persian Kittens!" When Mom walked in, she was greated by a nice lady (my fur parents' mom bean) who asked if she could help. My Mom told her she was interested in a female Persian. The nice lady told my Mom that all of the solid colors were already sold, but she had a male and female mixed Himmie and Persian. Mom told the nice lady she wanted to see the female. The nice lady took Mom directly to my cage (where I was with my brother). I came straight to her and my Mom asked if she could hold me. The nice lady said, "of course."

That is when I turned on the charm. As soon as I was in Mom's arms, I licked my mom's face (I still do this) and began purring. Mom said she walked around the store for almost an hour holding me and I fell asleep in her arms. The nice lady introduced my Mom to my fur dad, Little Tiger of Harbison (a red tabby Persian) and my fur mom, Chocolate Baby (a seal point Himalayan). Mom said she kept debating if she could afford me and finally asked the nice lady if she took credit cards. The nice lady said, "yes" and Mom said, "I'll take her."

The nice lady gave groomed me and brought me out with a red Christmas bow (unfortunately, mom didn't have her camera with me to get a picture). The nice lady called me "Flower Face," which I guess was my first name. Mom took one look at me with my sweet face and coloring and said, "Her name will be Praline." Mom loves Pralines and Cream Ice Cream and Pralines.

Mom took me by to meet my grandbeans and then we traveled 2 1/2 hours to go to my forever home.

And that's the end of my "Gotcha Day" story.

Mom and me in 1995