Okay, skinflint that I am, my mind went in two directions. First, I thought, what awesome thing did I get for free or for a mere pittance? Second, what item just unexpectedly keeps on giving way beyond its monetary value?
Since I am a miserable tightwad, so many of my possessions fall under these two categories. So, I moved on from this logical and methodical approach in arriving at an accurate answer and just decided to go with my gut.
My knee-jerk response was to figure out which book in my collection was my best buy. While I love most of them, none of them could really be considered valuable beyond their sentimental worth to me.
What about plants? I have some favorites, and I also have some that can be considered investments for their monetary and/or practical value.
Of course, there have been purchases made toward our businesses, but I don’t really want to get into that.
And after all the unnecessary assessment and analysis (because I know some bloggers would have just answered “my KitchenAid stand mixer” or “my car” without all the vacillation), my weak gut kept on circling back to Morgan and Onyx.
Yes, I shopped instead of adopting. My daughter and I have long been cat freaks. Her lovey was a stuffed cat that she schlepped around for years. She called it Kee Cat. The first time we looked into getting a cat, we let her play with a beautiful Persian that gave her hives, burning eyes, and sneezes.
I, on the other hand, have long had allergies. When I was a kid, I’d get the creeping crud every time I nuzzled a cat. I just had to nuzzle, of course. Plus, I’m asthmatic, so there was also some wheezing on top of the rash.
I did take care of cats when I was in college. I was mostly fine as long as I restrained myself from treating them like feather boas. I also learned to wash up every time I handled them. I still got a little wheezy every now and then, but it wasn’t anything alarming. I get the same wheezing from laughing like a maniac, which is pretty much the only way I know how to exhibit mirth.
Anyway, fast forward a couple of years, and we decided to look into getting a cat again. After Marguerite had several playdates with her friend’s Siamese, she noticed that she wasn’t getting an allergic reaction.
I did a ton of research on low-allergen cats before I finally zeroed in on Russian Blues. Admittedly, I was biased toward them because, back in the day, I bought this issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and my favorite story in it (Stranger Song by Melanie Lawrence) mentioned a Russian Blue.
Anyway, that’s how we ended up getting Morgan and Onyx, who went forth and multiplied. Don’t worry; all the cats in our care are now fixed. We do have a multiple-cat home, but there’s still plenty of love for other cats we encounter. The gist of it is that we have turned into cat people, which are the best kind of folk there are.
The cats are incredibly adorable. They are cute, funny, affectionate, and so, so smart. They bring us so many joyful and love-filled moments, but the most important gift they’ve given us is the capacity for caring – not just for them, but for other animals as well. We’ve become more aware, more compassionate, and more activist.
Occasionally, Marguerite still experiences itchy, burning eyes, and I still get a little wheezy, but these discomforts are easily dealt with. It’s funny, but I know a good percentage of crazy cat people out there are allergic. I know because we tell each other.
Somebody would post that as much as they’d want to adopt or foster a cat in need, they couldn’t because they’re allergic. I’d be rushing to comment, “I have seven cats, and I’m allergic AND asthmatic,” only to find that several others had already replied with something similar. Now, of course, there are levels of allergies. All I’m saying is that many of us who are allergic put up with the symptoms all for our obsession with cats. That’s just the way we crazy cat people roll.
This crazy cat lady actually even wrote a book. It only costs three bucks (around PhP185). Please buy it.
Make no mistake, though. The next time we acquire a cat, we’ll adopt. We already know – okay, maybe “know” isn’t the right word. We have an adequate grasp of how to pick one our allergies can live with.
Speaking of books, I also just published an anthology of my short stories and novelettes. You get six charming stories for just $4.99 (around PhP310). Please check it out and give it some love. ❤
P.S. Prices listed above are for the ebook versions. Have a great one, y’all!
This Small Life 