The reason for the name

I am currently in Annapolis for a week with Betka, so I'm not actively volunteering at MLAR right now. But, I wanted to update a few times with some info, and switch things up a bit. Because I'm slightly obsessed with my own animals, I shall devote this entry to their stories.

First up, Aurora. I got Aurora the summer before my junior year of college. Trisha, Chad and I went to That Fish Place with no intent on actually adopting, and ended up being unable to return Aurora to her cage. We took her home that day. Aurora soon became the cat that made all cat haters like cats...she has won over Chad, my friends Dan and Janeen, and my roommate Kim. She was born a feral, fostered by a Humane Society volunteer, given the name Beautiful Princess (I can only assume the volunteer had a little girl), and still harbors slight proclivities toward hallucinations.


After adopting Aurora, we took her to an incredibly awful vet, where Trisha met Annabelle (at that time named Xtra). Annabelle cocked her head awkwardly to the side, and we learned that she had a bad ear infection. Trisha, having her own ear eccentricities, developed an immediate bond with Bella, and she and Rora instantly became best friends. See?:




Maybe not all the time...

Finally, Orion. Chad and I adopted her from an amazing Philadelphia-based nonprofit rescue called City Kitties. When City Kitties got them, Orion and her sister Percy were so small you could see all the bones in their bodies. She was almost smaller than my hand. She was so small that she wasn't properly developed, and Lori and Lou named her Gomez (because she appeared to be a male). Orion was abused as a kitten, and shows symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and occasionally needs prozac to calm her down, especially when new people are over to visit. She's been doing much better. In fact, she has recently started cuddling with Kim and actually likes Tara!


Since adopting, my life has been infinitely fulfilled. I can't stress enough the need to adopt from shelters and rescues. There are so many amazing pets just looking for people to love and a warm body to snuggle up. My kitties keep me wonderfully entertained all day and night. They both have amazing personalities, and even earned nicknames, Rora's list including A-ro, Sra Sra, and the ever famous Scary Eyes McGee, while Rion has been entitled Little, Riberry, Oreo Cookie, and Kim's personal favorite, Onion. I love my cats so much that I turned down two amazing jobs because the included apartments did not allow pets. And I am completely happy about that decision, and would not take it back for all the money in the world.

So, this blog, for all the nothing it is worth, is dedicated to Aurora and Orion. I hope that, in time, everyone can feel that love and warmth the I feel from my kitties. I also hope that soon every cat has a human of its own to torment lovingly.