ZsaZsa

I've owned a lot of pets and fostered even more, but Wicket holds a very special place in my heart.  You're in the right place- this is a post about ZsaZsa, but first I do have to tell you about my Wicket.  Wicket was half of a duo I got as my 13th foster litter. He came to me named Jersey and his sister was named Holstein.  I thought they were munchkins- they had short stubby legs and BIG FAT BELLIES.  I had no plans on keeping Wicket. In fact, I took him to Auburn for a home visit with some friends who planned on adopting him.  Luckily they changed their minds before I had to tell them Wicket had laid claim on me.  Wicket decided I belonged to him and showed it by attaching himself to me physically.  At first, he'd nurse on my eyeball, lip, or ear- but eventually he settled on my ear.  Sometimes, if we had somewhere to go or something to do, my husband would have to pull him away from me, which always made us laugh.  Wicket would try to grab my face and hold on, sucking furiously until he slid off with an audible slurp sound which he'd immediately follow with a loud complaint and sticking out his tongue.  Though my husband had previously informed me we could not adopt any more cats, he agreed that Wicket and I should not be separated.  

I fell asleep and woke up EVERY DAY with Wicket on my ear, purring. He'd tell me if it was past my bedtime; he was always ready for me. But Wicket was very prone to getting sick as well.  We were in and out of the vet's office for months.  One week before his first birthday, Wicket lost control of his limbs and we made the heartbreaking decision to let him go with peace and love.  The pain meds they gave him at the end allowed him to become a little more alert and energetic, so he was able to spend his very last moments doing what Wicket loved to do more than anything else- nurse on my ear.  It took me months before I could sleep well without his purrs soothing me.  

2 days before we got the Gabors, it was Wicket's adoption day anniversary.  We treated ourselves to a night out and talked about all our favorite Wicket memories.  I still wear his collar as a bracelet and have collected more Wicket toys and merchandise- I feel his loss every day.   And then I picked up the Gabors.  After letting them out of their crate and showing them where to go potty and where to eat, I sat down to supervise them to make sure we didn't have any accidents. ZsaZsa chomped down kibble until she saw me sit down.  She promptly waddled over, climbed up my chest, and started nursing on my lip.  I guess the wet tears streaming down my face got annoying because she moved to my ear and settled there, purring directly into my heart, for the next few hours. 

We noticed that evening that our Nixplay- which usually rotates through pictures and videos...was stuck. Wicket watched over us from the screen while Zsa Zsa claimed my ear.

I've had the Gabors for just over 24 hours now, and I'm pretty sure I'm completely in love.  ZsaZsa is currently curled up on my neck- she tried to nurse my ear but I was determined to get this blog written and she kept sliding so she finally just wedged herself between my neck and chair.  Earlier today I tried to do some productive things and she curled up with my Mochi when I wasn't available.  She seemed to really enjoy the forced grooming Mochi subjected her to until she woke up enough to notice I was standing there, filiming her.  She mewed "momma!" and crawled up my chest and hasn't left me since.  

I'm not sure I believe in reincarnation, but I don't NOT believe either.  But ZsaZsa is doing her best to find her forever home... it could be fate that led her to me. 

Update 3/12/23:  

I've been carefully non-commital to everyone's predictions that I'll keep ZsaZsa. I've also played around with a variety of names for her... currently it's "Empress Zsa zsa Cinnamon Swirl of Endor" with the nickname of "Yub Nub", but it's not set in stone yet.  What seems to be set is the fact that today is the day I have to write bios for the babies going to Petsmart and I have no current desire nor plan to write one for Zsa Zsa, who is nursing on my face as I type this.  Whenever Zsa Zsa is with me, which is almost all the time when I am home, I feel peace. She hangs out with me when I'm relaxing or will settle on my shoulder when I'm working.  I can't imagine life without her now.