Cosmo The Wonder Cat

I wonder whatever happened to Cosmo.

The Marmelade Gypsy has a picture of her beautiful orange cat on her banner. I have always wanted an orange cat.

I've had two orange dogs, both Golden Retrievers. My beloved Jessie, gone since 1997 and Rosey, my competition for Paul's attention. Have I told you how Rosey barks and jumps up in the air when Paul hugs me? Sometimes we do it just to piss her off.

Madeleine, our granddaugther, said to me once when she was about 3, Grama your hair's not red, it's orange. Since I have orange hair and an orange dog, I've always thought I should have an orange cat.

And one showed up in our garage about 6 years ago. Paul came in one morning saying 'there's some animal out there making an awful racket.' I went out and from under my car comes this skinny orange tomcat yelling his head off. He looked about 4 months old. Despite being so thin he had the most beautiful coat and gorgeous dark orange eyes. He kept meowing like crazy and running around my legs.

He was so skinny, of course, I fed him. No idea where he had come from; I checked with a few neighbors and no one claimed him. We made a bed in an old cat carrier, and he stayed a couple nights while I tried to figure out what to do. After making calls I found a really nice lady who was running a no-kill cat shelter a couple towns away. Actually in the next state, she wasn't supposed to take out-of-state cats but I prevailed upon her,and we made arrangements for a drop-off.

In the meantime, we got kind of attached to the little guy. He was so affectionate, he purred constantly. Pam and Madeleine came to visit and Madeleine name him Cosmo. It was the perfect name.

Paul said several times keep him. But when Tiggy died I swore off litter boxes and since we live near the woods with the foxes and coyotes (remember what happened to Lucy last fall?) I can't in good conscience have an outdoor cat. So, no, he'd go to the shelter and they'd either find him a home or he'd live there permanently.

So the day came when I took him to the shelter which was in an old store front in a strip mall. I was pleased to see about 15 cats of various ages running around having a great time, no cages in sight. As I passed Cosmo to the lady, I teared up and couldn't speak. I had told her his name was Cosmo, and she promised to keep it. I left knowing he was in good hands.

A few days later she called to give me an update. The shelter quarantines new cats and has them seen by a vet as soon as possible. She told me that Cosmo was pretty sick. They had to worm him three times, and he was still at the vet's office. I checked back in a couple weeks and she said he was doing well, back at the shelter and was the life of the party. He had become the favorite of all the shelter volunteers with a personality like they had never seen.

She also told me that he was scheduled to be adopted by a couple who had two other cats they had rescued and was going home that weekend. And his name was going to remain Cosmo.

So when I saw Jeanie's kitty today I thought I wonder whatever happened to Cosmo?

The photo isn't Cosmo, but it could be!