Meet Smudge! My New Sidekick!
✨ In November 2024, I was blessed with a cat named Smudge ✨
Here’s the story…
I met Smudge when he was just a kitten, at a house party I went to, which was hosted by Harold’s friend Jason, who had just started dating his partner, Allison. Since I was also new to the community, over time, I started becoming friends with Allison, preferring to spend time with her at their parties, away from everyone else who already knew each other for years, because she had anxiety the way I used to, and despite the parties being at her house, socializing made her uneasy, which I understood completely. That’s probably why I was content to sit in the front room with her and Smudge. We talked about our Cricut projects, while I taught her how to play Animal Crossing, and she told me all about her Jeep rallies across the border.
Allison was an avid Jeep fanatic, and the founder of the #DuckDuckJeep movement that began over COVID, where Jeep owners leave other Jeep owners surprise rubber ducks on their parked vehicles as an act of kindness. I guess it’s a thing people now do all around the world, and rubber ducks are now featured prominently at Jeep rallies both in Canada and the US. All because Allison wanted to be kind and leave someone a duck one day. 😊
Sadly, in June 2024, while still only in her 30’s, Allison suddenly passed away from natural causes, which shocked and devastated her friends, family, and the whole international Jeep community.
In October, Jason posted on Facebook to say that it was time to rehome Smudge, as his intact fuzzy nuts full of teenage hormones were in full swing and he was trying to mount and dominate the other cat in the house, who was old enough to not need that in his life and too timid to fend for himself. Plus, Smudge had started marking his territory all over the house. Not to mention the fact that there were also three other dogs in the household. It was fine when Allison was still alive and there were two people to care for the pets, but the brood was just too much for one person to handle. Being young, only in his “teen years”, and playful, Smudge is a cat that requires demands a lot of attention.
Jason’s post was literally the first thing I saw when I unlocked my phone and opened Facebook that day. I don’t even normally go to Facebook at all, let alone first thing upon waking up, yet that day I did. Only one week prior, I had contacted a friend at a small dog rescue in Vermont about helping me find a chihuahua, an idea Harold disliked immensely due to having a chihuahua once that was not ideal, because I felt after three years of being on my own and doing relatively well, I was ready to take on the responsibility of a pet. Not only that, but Harold and I had even talked long before Allison passed away, how it would be only good to get a cat, if we could get a cool cat like Allison’s.
When I got out of the shower and greeted Harold, the first thing I said was, “did you see Jason’s post?” to which he said, “I did.” And we looked at each other like, “are you thinking what I’m thinking?” The next thing I knew, Harold’s arranging to go to Jason’s and hang out with Smudge, to see if we would make a good match, and after many discussions with each other and Jason, and hanging on with Smudge a couple more times, we decided that he would be a more than welcome addition to the Harold & Sunny Show.
Smudge is a purebred blue point Highland Lynx cat (also known as a Highlander) and part of the reason he hadn’t been neutered yet, was because Allison had been considering using him as a stud for breeding more Highland Lynx cats, as they are a relatively new (invented in the 1990’s), uncommon breed, and Smudge is a particularly nice cat. The other part of the reason is simply that she died right when it was about time to snip him, and neutering him just understandably got lost in the grief process.
In fact, Smudge had never seen a vet in his young life, which meant he needed an examination, blood work, vaccinations, neutering, and microchipping before he came to live with us, which was a whole hell of a lotta money at once! 🙀 Now that I know more or less how much veterinary care is, I’ve been putting a little bit of money away each paycheque in case of emergencies since Smudge came to live with us at the beginning of November. He got a clean bill of health from the vet, and now his little fuzzy nuts are empty!
Since the second he came through the door, Smudge has been pure joy to have around! 😻
He’s super loving and cuddly, curious and playful, bright and alert yet still sleeps half of his life, and we’ve fallen pretty hard for him in the month he’s been with us. And truth be told, I think he’s fallen pretty hard for us too, because he sure seems happy! There hasn’t been ANY MARKING OR POTTY MISHAPS since he’s been here either! He’s an angel! Hallelujah! 🙏
I haven’t had a cat in over 10 years, and there’s so much I either forgot, or just never knew! It’s like starting over with a new baby where suddenly you know NOTHING!
We kept Smudge secluded to the carport for the first two weeks he was here, because we didn’t want to overwhelm him right away, and I could keep a closer eye on him in case he started marking or getting into things he shouldn’t. It also gave us a chance to bond, since the carport is also my office and living room, and I’m pretty much always there. I even sleep there a lot of the time!
We’ve already figured out a loose routine where Smudge hangs out with Harold at his desk all morning, then I get up and feed him wet food and kibble in the carport and check his water fountain for debris in the afternoon, then he just hangs out with me all day and night while I work on creative projects or do my Lovely Money Job! We play fetch with balls and springs, we do laps down the hallway with the laser pointer, we play with the ribbon on a stick, and he also plays what we call the “biting game”, where he play fights with your hand! He’s just with me all the time! He’s in my lap purring as I type this!
Allison and Jason clearly loved this cat a lot, as he’s so trusting, loves everyone who comes to the house whether they’ve been here before or not, and you can tell he’s never known a moment of cruelty in his life. This is a sharp contrast to my first cat, who was sick and feral when I adopted her, and remained feral her whole life here, but who was apparently fine in her new home. I am fully willing to admit that I’m not equipped to deal with hardcore animal rehabilitation cases!
But what I can do is give Smudge a good, pampered, if not glamorous life with two adults that have no other dependants, one of which works from home and the other is on indefinite medical leave. We have the ability to spoil him and give him infinite love and attention. He’s the closest thing Harold and I will ever have to a child and we’re already those asshole “pet parents” who treat him that way!
I don’t believe in god or an afterlife or anything woo woo or religious like that, but it’s almost impossible to be with this cat every day, and have every day be a good day because of him, and not think I’ve somehow been blessed by Allison herself. When Smudge stares off into nothingness, I ask him if he sees Allison, and it gives me comfort to think that he does, and she’s somehow still loving him, however she can, wherever she is.
