Are cats really worth it?

Don't rush to judgment here and send me flaming bags of cat poop.  There's a process I'm about to go through.  Read it before preparing the bags of cat poop.  Your UPS man will thank you.

I have two cats.  I fondly call them Basterd Cat and Crazy Pants.  Both are rather accurate descriptions of the cats.  On Saturday morning, Basterd Cat made his way out the door into the great wild outdoors.  He likes to do this.  I don't like when he does this.  He'll usually be back around dinner time, waiting to be let in impatiently.

Today is Tuesday.  He's not back.

Let me tell you a bit about Basterd cat.  We have two dogs in addition to the two cats.  Basterd cat hisses and swats at both dogs and the other cat (although, when he thinks we're not looking, he's been found curled up with Crazy Pants).  His file at the vet is flagged red and when he goes in, they pretty much suit up to deal with him.  He's taken a chunk out of at least one vet.  If we don't let him outside when he wants, he follows us around meowing over and over and over again until you want to snap his tiny little furry neck.  He vomits daily.  I'm pretty sure he sheds at will.

The good?  I've had him for 10 years.  He's helped my survive my divorce as well as the death of both of my grandparents recently.  He's been cried on and cuddled and he's slept on me when I'm sick.  If my husband and I are around when he's sleeping, he'll reach out a single paw and rest it on us as if he likes knowing we're there.

And now he's missing and it makes me sad.  He's 12 years old (at least) and he's turned into a grumpy old man, but he's my grumpy old man.

He may be at the pound.  They have a picture of a cat on their website that could very well be him.  I called and was told he'd been euthanized, but that he was a she and instead of a brown tabby, a tortiseshell.  Well, I'm pretty sure that's an identity that couldn't (and shouldn't) be confused.  So they told me to go to the pound to see if he was there.

My husband works closer than I do so he went.  And he was turned away at the door.  Why?  Because they're euthanizing cats today.  Gee.  Thanks for making me feel all warm and fuzzy.  Really.  They did reassure him that the 3 day holding period does not include weekends so it's likely they are NOT euthanizing him.  I hope.

After this, I ask myself if it's really worth having a cat I've nicknamed basterd cat. 

It is.