ooh baby, you're the one II

new kitten
Originally uploaded by kristalynn.

it was my birthday a few days ago. i instructed my boyfriend to not get me a new cat as a present. i wanted to pick my next cat.

"no more cats are coming into this apartment!" he ordered.

i recently moved in with him and his two cats. trouble is, they don't like me. they don't sleep on me, cuddle with me, permit me to vacuum them, or balance on my head.

"i need my OWN cat."

"no more cats."


i took my birthday off work, and after breakfast out (bacon and eggs), we went for a brisk autumn walk. we passed a new pet store. my boyfriend wanted to check for cat litter.

"yeah, let's see if they have any kittens!'

as soon as i approached the kitten cage, one of the two kitten jumped up and bounded towards me. she reached her paw out through the bars.

"cute! she's puffy."

her sister was not so puffy.

the pet store owner informed us that the cat i was interested in was "magnificent", and so much cuter than her sister.

"noooo, they're both adorable," i said i picked up the fluffy cat. she clung to my coat.

"play with her sister." i told my boyfriend.

"nah."

"c'mon! don't let her feel neglected!"

we put the kittens back in the cage when we were done. i walked out feeling kind of relieved. i wasn't sure if i was ready for another cat.

"what did you think of the furry one? did you love her?" i asked.

"she was cute. she not 'the one' though."

this statement puzzled me. when we're all so full of full of errors and moods and complications, how do we really know when someone is "the one"? shouldn’t we put ourselves into situations first and then deal with the repercussions afterwards? maybe my boyfriend stating that she wasn't "the one" actually confirmed that she was, in fact, the one.

the next day my heart ached for the furry kitty. i returned to the store. i played with her some more. she purred and she was fluffy. i was this [] close to bringing her home. but i just didn't have the heart to break up her and her sister. i couldn't be that selfish.

i told myself that, on the off chance, if someone gets the less fluffy kitten and busts up the sisters, i'd get the one that i toppled in love with.

i emailed a fellow animal lover about my quandary. i didn't see the point. i knew she'd just tell me to get them both.

"get them both!" she instructed.


i headed back again the next day. there was only one cat left in the cage. i looked around the store for the other. was she running free? getting a flea bath?

the owner recognized me.

"a man came in this morning with his two sons." he told me. "the cat ran to the boys and started playing with them. the father said that was a sign - that was the cat for them."

i nodded and opened the cage.

i picked up the remaining cat. "i'm going to take this one."

“she’s the more beautiful of the two,” he said.

“no...” i replied, smiling.


i got a little scared. another 17 years of responsibility. more heart break at the end of those 17 years.

i inserted her into my coat. her head poked out. we walked home.