Your Resident Single Friend: Are pet registries a thing?

I've been to Target three times in less than 24 hours. I've never spent that much time in a Target in a short time period. Even when I moved into my apartment last year, I only went to Target twice over the course of a week. Is there a limit to the number of times you can go to Target in a 24 hour period before they get suspicious?

What's taken me to Target this weekend? Well, friends, I adopted a cat yesterday. I've been slowly working my way to finding a new pet friend. It's not a small thing, looking for a pet.Visiting the Cat Cafe was a first step, and since my visit I've been checking out area shelters for my new cat. Earlier this week, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria posted the most adorable video on Instagram of four new kittens available for adoption. It's kitten season after all, so the babies are out in full force. I decided to go on Friday after work to see if one of the kittens, a dilute tortoiseshell, was still available. I went with the knowledge that said kitten would probably not be available and that I'd spend time with the other cats.

I was 100% right about the kitten. Three of the four, including the one I was interested in adopting, had been adopted. I made the rounds of the other younger cats, meeting Claire, Mercy, Gloria, Naomi, and Callie. None of them were my cat, but they were all super sweet and adorable. At least two of them were adopted yesterday too. I was making a final walk around when I found him...my cat. A handsome, but shy gentleman, I stepped into the cage and he immediately started purring. He let me pet him, scratch under his chin, and then fell asleep on my hand. I was a goner after that.

Introducing Keely!

 Look at that face! He's so handsome.

I'm not going to pretend I'm not nervous about adopting a new cat. It's a stressful experience on multiple levels for both of us. Keely's been in the shelter a little over a month, so moving from one strange place to another is stressful for the little guy. He's got to figure out his litter box, his food, and where he can nap comfortably. So far, he's figured out his food (ate a full dinner), fun places to laze about on the floor and on the couch, his scratcher, and how to jump on the sink in the bathroom. He's also begged for my dinner and made a face at me when I wouldn't give him Goldfish crackers. It's been a very exciting day.

Me, I forgot three things on my list, lost the cord of cell phone charger, and didn't click the delivery button when I ordered food so I had to leave him for 30 minutes to go pick it up instead. That's how I'm reacting to our new situation; forgetting stuff and losing things. What am I going to do when I leave him for a few hours tomorrow? Or a whole day on Monday?  Are pet registries a thing? I could totally do with a pet registry right now. Being a pet parent is stressful.

Stressful, but worth it. Keely is super affectionate when he wants to be, weaving around my legs, laying on my feet, and rubbing his little face on everything. Currently, he's laying under the window in my bedroom. It seems that he's settling in, little by little.

Thank you to the friendly staff at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria for helping me find Keely. Go visit them if you're looking to adopt a new pet. Enjoy some photos of Keely's first day in his new home. I'm sure he'll be back on the Island soon.