My best cat ever was named Hamilton. Not like Alexander. But like Margaret from The Wizard of Oz. Hamilton was given to me as a gift in 1985. He was sickly and slight. And as a kitten, he was an absolute terror.
I’ll never forget the afternoon of this next story. Near the time I got him, my grandmother passed away. I was standing near the kitchen of the townhouse I was living in and had just gotten the news of her death over the phone. It was a warm day in September, and I was wearing shorts. Hamilton, the terror, decided to run up my leg and tore the heck out of it, drawing blood in several places.
I picked him up and held him against the wall. I stared that little kitten right in the face. In my meanest voice, I said, “I don’t have time to do it today, but tomorrow, I’m taking you to the pound. Kitty prison. The animal shelter. I’ve had enough of you. I didn’t even want you in the first place.” And I set him down on the floor, walked out of the apartment, and left for my Mom & Dad’s house.
When I got home that night, he was the sweetest, most loving kitten on the entire planet. And from that day forward, he stayed absolutely sweet, loving, caring, and clingy for all his life. Seventeen years later, I had to say goodbye to him in his crossing over, and it was one of the hardest days of my life.
Cats. Furry Family. Animals. The Beautiful Beings.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to have let them into our lives, know.
We know that they become a part of us. Like a best friend. Or like a part of our family.
Everyone should know such goodness.
I think of this because I just read an article about the 25 best cities in the United States for Cat Lovers.
I’m not sure they would have liked me pinning Hamilton to the wall and yelling at him. But. Regardless, here are those cities, ranked in order.
If you are wondering how one decides such a thing as the best city for cat lovers, I will tell you. They did it by looking at metrics like the number of animal shelters per 100,000 residents, cat sitters, cat-friendly rental properties, cat boarding options, veterinary care, and even the presence of cat cafés. Lastly, they factored in overall affordability to make sure owners have the budget for those extra-fancy cat feasts. The research was done by a polling group, Starter Up.
And here they are.
Their top 25 cat-friendly locations:
1. Orlando, Florida
2. Knoxville, Tennessee
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
4. Santa Rosa, California
5. St. Louis, Missouri
6. Richmond, Virginia
7. Scottsdale, Arizona
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Savannah, Georgia
10. Fort Collins, Colorado
11. Tampa, Florida
12. Tacoma, Washington
13. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
14. Miami, Florida
15. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
16. Austin, Texas
17. Birmingham, Alabama
18. Dayton, Ohio
19. Eugene, Oregon
20. Springfield, Missouri
21. Escondido, California
22. Salem, Oregon
23. Roseville, California
24. Tallahassee, Florida
25. Alexandria, Virginia
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your paws.
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“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” — Sigmund Freud
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“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” — Leonardo da Vinci
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“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” — Terry Pratchett
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You cat and you need to move here. Or here. Or here…
