Archives from 2002-2006

Dec

18

That time I went to the coolest CAT PARTY

I need to be writing here every day because there has been so much good stuff going on and I want to remember it! But first, let me catch you up on last Sunday and the amazing CAT PARTY I attended.

The CAT PARTY was first mentioned to me when I was on the phone with Billy’s breeder, it truly was one of the first things she talked about. Before we got into any of the details of what kittens were available or vetting me for my ability to be a good owner or talking about what to know about owning a Maine Coon, she let me know about the CAT PARTIES she hosts twice a year – I had just missed the summer barbecue, but I would be on the invite list for the December event.

This party — catered, at an events center, music and prizes, and of course there would be cats! — was mentioned several times throughout the process of acquiring Billy, and each time I was sort of like oh ha ha that’s cool sounds great, but time marched on and eventually the event was coming right up. I wrangled my sweet hospice family friends to go with me, I thought it would be nice for sweet Ms I and her daughter C to get out and see some cats and maybe we’d have something jolly to laugh about later, but unfortunately I was having a hard day on Sunday so they couldn’t come. I tried to strong-arm Riley into attending with me (“I think it’ll be weird! And there will be cats!!”) but it was a no go.

What to do?? I considered skipping it, I really did. It felt like a Whole Lot to fly solo to the CAT PARTY but I reagarded the invite again and its mentions of bringing cats and decided what the hell. In for a cat penny, in for a cat pound – Billy would be my plus-one.

He was game to get in the carrier and aside from some mild complaining did very well on the drive out there, and let me tell you it was a drive! Way out past Eugene in a rural area and when I pulled up I felt a little yikes because there were not that many cars there so clearly it was going to be an intimate CAT PARTY rather than the more anonymous raging cat banger I had hoped for. But I gathered my courage and Billy’s carrier and marched right in, where I did not know a soul and at first thought I would maybe die but then I eventually ran into the host family I had gotten Billy from. So I had someone to talk to a bit, and other people were very nice and friendly, and everyone had a cat!

I ended up sitting at a table next to the most interesting woman, and I kind of glommed onto her and that’s where I stayed. Billy was on a harness and did very well, he was a little stressed for a while in that I could feel him trembling, but he became more calm and spent quite some time sitting contendedly in this woman’s husband’s lap. I learned that this couple lives outside of Portland on a farm, and I was invited to come visit sometime — they have Scottish highland cattle!! It was so cool to see their cats, Billy’s age, and learn about their similarities. “Does he just drape himself across you at night,” she asked me, and I was like OH MY GOD YES.

There was in fact music and prizes and there were a few kids playing, and cats everywhere. Cats in laps, cats in big pop-up play areas, cats being carried from one table to another. Young cats like Billy and enormous full-grown majestic furbeasts. We all got a little gift stocking with cat treats. There was a buffet setup with food and a bunch of young catering staff that surely had seen it all but had they seen a CAT PARTY quite like this, I meant to ask one of them but did not. There was a large dessert table and beautiful custom cat-themed sugar cookies that were too pretty to eat. There was an area for cat holiday photos and my new farm friends and I took turns taking each other’s pictures.

Before I left I thanked the generous host and she reminded me about this summer’s barbecue and I was like absolutely of course would not miss it for anything, are you kidding me I am putting it in my calendar right this minute. My new friend and I joked about driving in the dark at our age, she said “Sometimes I’m like, is there even a road at all??” and I was like OH MY GOD YES. We exchanged numbers and I declared my intent to visit her farm and no promises on not stealing at least one cow.

I drove away with Billy all tuckered out in his carrier next to me, thinking how grateful I was that it had worked out the way it did. Never say no to a CAT PARTY, check.