It's been an odd series of things that led to our decision to become the proud new owners of The Ugliest Cat in the World.
I wasn't, still am not really, ready to get another cat.
However, the other kitten we adopted when we got Lily has been pining quite badly. So Husband and I took deep breaths and with the offspring trotting behind us went back to the Cat Haven.
As an aside, can I just say I am amazed at the work they do. And in equal parts I was enraged at the number of people who came in and out during our time there, with boxloads of kittens they allegedly found at the side of the road.
I have to say this, I have been driving for a very long time and not once have I found kittens at the side of the road. Clearly I am either not driving in the right place, or people are terrible liars and YOU SHOULD BE STERILIZING YOUR CATS you utterly irresponsible, shameless excuse for human beings
Deep breath.
So we walked round the Haven looking at the kittens and cats. We'd decided in advance not to get a kitten. Partly because ours is nine months old and secondly cats find it harder to get placements and we wanted to give one a chance at a good life.
There was no cat that moved us. The offspring on the other hand wanted to take them all home. All I wanted to do was leave. Every time I cuddled a cat all I could think of was my poor, broken Lily.
So we asked the girl helping us if there was anything we'd missed.
She hesitated.
Then she took us to the infirmary.
It's where the cats with flue stay.
And we met The Ugliest Cat in the World.
She's eight months old, scrawny as all get out and has already had a litter of kittens.
But one lesson I have learned in 2010 is that "all that glisters is not gold." Just because something looks pretty or comes nicely packaged doesn't actually mean anything, other than it's easy on the eye. Creating a relationship or friendship means a great deal more than that. It's taken me 35 years to figure out. I'm a bit slow with life lessons sometimes.
So when she looked at me with her leaky eyes and nuzzled into my neck it was a done deal.
Taking her home and introducing her to Sparkles has been the equivalent of getting Taylor Swift and Amy Winehouse to do a duet, so we are taking that slowly.
And last night we hung out together on the couch and it was kind of nice. I hand fed her some food and she purred like a very contented cat should.
And we've named her Halo.
Because we're all beautiful aren't we?