1 I'll never forget the first pet we ever had. My family and I had lived in an apartment forever, and it didn't allow pets. That never stopped my pet-loving sister and me from begging for a pet constantly, though.
2 Finally one summer we moved into our own home. It was a small bungalow in the
city. It took us awhile to get moved in and feel like we had ownership of the place. My mother, for example, continued to say, "Turn down the music; you'll disturb the people upstairs." Finally it dawned on us-the
house belonged to us. We could do whatever we wanted, including having a pet.
3 Right on schedule, a cat showed up on
our front steps. My sister and I were sunning ourselves on the steps and trying to decide what
to do next during a rather boring summer vacation. The huge tabby-colored tomcat came and brushed his long fur against our legs. He never asked for any food, mind you, but just seemed to want to
be petted. We learned later the cat was a Maine coon, so named because of its size and because some people in Maine evidently thought the large breed looked like a raccoon.
4 "This is a sweet kitty," my sister Denise crooned, scratching the eat's ears. Hardly a kitty at that size, I thought, but the cat just bellied
up for more sunning and scratching as if he belonged with us.
s "We aren't keeping that cat," said Mom. "It's
a stray; we don't know anything about it, and it's too big." The cat didn't seem to mind. He just sauntered away like he owned the whole neighborhood.
6 We saw the cat only occasionally during the hot days of August and the milder days of September, but when the rain showers of
October came;1he cat renewed its efforts to be adopted. Try to enjoy a fall evening with a cat the size of a small raccoon howling on top of your mailbox. Still, our parents wouldn't let us bring the cat inside, which reduced Denise
to tears.
7 "The cat is wet and cold," Denise cried. " He
needs us!"
8 Iwas a rainy October. By this time the cat had spent several wet, cold nights outside. Finally our parents relented.
e Dad said, "Okay, bring the cat onto the porch for the night. But don't let it into the house."
10 From the way my sister carried on, I think my
parents realized it was a fight they would not win. Denise was all smiles as she dried the cat with a towel, fed him, and then made him a bed from old towels. She would have slept out there with the cat if my parents had let her.
11 So, the next morning we packed the cat into the car for a trip to the veterinarian. "If we're going to have a cat, we'd better make sure it's a healthy one," our parents declared.
12 The veterinarian pronounced the cat healthy but was surprised by the eat's size. "He must weigh more than twenty pounds," she said. "I don't know
1 I'll never forget the first pet we ever had. My family and I had lived in an apartment forever, and it didn't allow pets. That never stopped my pet-loving sister and me from begging for a pet constantly, though.2 Finally one summer we moved into our own home. It was a small bungalow in the city. It took us awhile to get moved in and feel like we had ownership of the place. My mother, for example, continued to say, "Turn down the music; you'll disturb the people upstairs." Finally it dawned on us-thehouse belonged to us. We could do whatever we wanted, including having a pet. 3 Right on schedule, a cat showed up onour front steps. My sister and I were sunning ourselves on the steps and trying to decide whatto do next during a rather boring summer vacation. The huge tabby-colored tomcat came and brushed his long fur against our legs. He never asked for any food, mind you, but just seemed to want tobe petted. We learned later the cat was a Maine coon, so named because of its size and because some people in Maine evidently thought the large breed looked like a raccoon.4 "This is a sweet kitty," my sister Denise crooned, scratching the eat's ears. Hardly a kitty at that size, I thought, but the cat just belliedup for more sunning and scratching as if he belonged with us.s "We aren't keeping that cat," said Mom. "It'sa stray; we don't know anything about it, and it's too big." The cat didn't seem to mind. He just sauntered away like he owned the whole neighborhood.6 We saw the cat only occasionally during the hot days of August and the milder days of September, but when the rain showers of
October came;1he cat renewed its efforts to be adopted. Try to enjoy a fall evening with a cat the size of a small raccoon howling on top of your mailbox. Still, our parents wouldn't let us bring the cat inside, which reduced Denise
to tears.
7 "The cat is wet and cold," Denise cried. " He
needs us!"
8 Iwas a rainy October. By this time the cat had spent several wet, cold nights outside. Finally our parents relented.
e Dad said, "Okay, bring the cat onto the porch for the night. But don't let it into the house."
10 From the way my sister carried on, I think my
parents realized it was a fight they would not win. Denise was all smiles as she dried the cat with a towel, fed him, and then made him a bed from old towels. She would have slept out there with the cat if my parents had let her.
11 So, the next morning we packed the cat into the car for a trip to the veterinarian. "If we're going to have a cat, we'd better make sure it's a healthy one," our parents declared.
12 The veterinarian pronounced the cat healthy but was surprised by the eat's size. "He must weigh more than twenty pounds," she said. "I don't know
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