Adopting Ole

For years our son begged for a cat, and you know how it goes. As soon as the world learns you're looking for a pet, everyone and their brother has a stray to drop off. In 2005, my sister and my best friend dropped a total of three cats on our doorstep. I took the kittens back to my friend when the older cat stopped eating. (And she had the nerve to be upset - listen up world, if you don't want to deal with unwanted kittens, SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!)

Ruthie's a beautiful gal. The softest cat we've ever had, and probably has the sweetest disposition. But, little boys have very specific requests, and she didn't meet them. She was, and will always be, "the family cat" and he wanted his own. A kitten - a black kitten with red eyes. Unfortunately, the black kittens we came across only had yellow ones.

It was a deal nonetheless, and we packed him up in our pre-purchased crate (complete with smells-like-son blanket) and wrote our check. We hauled his tiny little bod out to our car ... and realized my husband wasn't with us.

I walked back into the shelter and my chin hit the floor. My dearest Denn was staring with huge, disc-like eyes ... at a dachshund.

Ole Dachshund - Don Ole Tailwaglia, the Dogfather - to be specific. I couldn't believe my eyes. My husband hated dogs. He'd always said no when I'd asked about having one, even before the kids came along. It sure seemed like love at first sight.

"What's wrong, honey?" I asked, sure that he wouldn't ask our son to take back his cat.

"Oh, nothing." He said in that whistful way you know means weeks of future pouting if things don't go the right way.

"Come on," I prodded.

"Well, I like that one more," he said, motioning toward the dog in that little-boy sort of way. It took about a milisecond for me to decide whether I could haandle crate training and a new kitten all at once.

"Okay," I said quickly, and then to the attendant, "We'll also take him." The husband's mouth was quick to open. "You go out to the car," I said, "and make sure the kids are okay. I'll bring him out." Astonished, we both left quickly, and with much more responsibility ... and much more joy, and laughter, and satisfaction than we'd ever intended.