cat dad – Pain In The Bud

Man Rescues Adorable Kitten From Desert Road, Falls In Love

The little one was in a bad way, but she’s since recovered and is growing into a strong, healthy cat with a doting human dad.

Maybe there’s something to the idea that people who claim they don’t like cats just haven’t met the right cat.

In this video a man named Sam shares the story of how he rescued and adopted his kitten, Scythe. The gray kitten had been abandoned or somehow separated from her mother at just four weeks old and was in a bad way.

At first Sam thought the little shape on the side of the road was a dark-colored rock and was shocked when it popped up and started moving toward him. It was a tiny kitten, her eyes gummed up and shut, following the sounds of his van’s engine. (External playback on the Youtube video has been disabled by the channel’s owner, but you can see Sam and Scythe in action here.)

Scythe immediately after Sam rescued her from a desert road.

Sam took her inside the van where his air conditioning was blasting and cleaned her up a bit. The next day he took her to the vet, but could tell she was suffering.

“She was just looking up at me, so small and scared,” he said. “I hated feeling so helpless, knowing I couldn’t do anything to make her feel better.”

Despite the hardship she’d suffered, Scythe warmed up to Sam quickly.

“I remember the first time she felt love,” he said of her reaction when he began gently petting her. “It felt like the most healing thing for her was knowing people cared about her.”

He felt her tugging at his heartstrings, but there were two big problems: he’s allergic to cats, and his job requires him to hit the road for days at a time, often parking in places where the van bakes in the sun.

“I wasn’t thinking about keeping her at first. I had some friends saying ‘Oh, we’ll take her.’ But we had so much fun together, I ended up being like, I can’t give this cat away.”

Sam decided he’d compromise and bring Scythe home, where his parents care for her during his work trips. When he returns, the little cat is overjoyed and can’t wait to play with him.

“I already knew from a few days in that our bond was so strong, and we both began to feel it much more as we traveled together,” he said. “I never thought I’d be a cat dad, but now I can’t believe I ever hesitated to keep her.”

How sweet! It reminds me of me and the Budster, except with a lot less cat-slapping-human action and more gratitude. That’s okay, though. I love my feline overlord too. This is further proof that all it takes it one special cat to convert nonbelievers to the feline side.

Knicks’ OG Anunoby Is A Confirmed Cat Dude, But…

Does Anunoby have a cat of his own?

When OG Anunoby teamed up with local New York cat rescues to promote an adoption event in June, the marketing materials were curiously devoid of any mention of Anunoby having a feline of his own.

The Knicks were still basking in the glow of their incredible run to the NBA championship, and Anunoby was doing a good thing, but there was a piece of the story missing.

Why was he helping cats?

Now we know.

Anunoby says he loves all animals, “but especially cats.” He just doesn’t have a cat of his own yet for a very practical reason: he’s on the road constantly as a professional athlete, and his job is extremely demanding on his time.

“Because of the season and the scheduling and all the travel I have to do, it’s hard to have one,” he told NBC Sports. “So, I don’t have one right now, but I do want to get one in the future.”

Some professional athletes make it work. Jordan Poole is the NBA’s most prominent cat lover and was a regular volunteer at a local shelter when he played for the Washington Wizards.

A close-up of Muñoz’s custom glove with his cat’s name and likeness.

Munoz using his custom glove during an MLB game.

In Major League Baseball, 27-year-old Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz is famous for his devotion to his cat, Matilda. He had her hilariously sneering face and paw prints stitched onto a custom glove, and his wife brings Matilda with her on the road when the Mariners embark on road trips, so Muñoz can have his family with him.

Even Seattle fans love Matilda and she’s become an unofficial team mascot with her own bobblehead doll.

After picking a “starting five” of adoptable cats in June, Anunoby is currently partnering with Royal Canin in a campaign to urge people to take their cats to the vet for preventative care.

He’s beloved in New York not only for being an absolute badass on the court and for exceeding expectations as he hit one of basketball’s most iconic game-winning shots. He’s also loved for his demeanor. The dude’s a space cadet.

After the Kicks won it all, Anunoby stared quietly, immersed in his own thoughts during a national TV morning show appearance with his teammates, completely oblivious to the anchor who was asking him a question. The rest of the Knicks were doubled over in laughter.

He’s the kind of introvert who would probably make a good cat dad, so when he retires — or maybe when he gets a guarantee of stability, like a no-trade clause in his contract — he’ll provide a good home.

In the meantime, he said what every fan likes to hear. The Knicks enjoyed their championship, they basked in the celebration, but they know there are 29 hungry teams ready to stop them from repeating as champions, so now they’re back in the gym and putting in the work to level up.

Why Thank You, Bud!

Buddy wouldn’t tolerate another human being his servant.

Buddy may be demanding and parsimonious with praise, out of the firm belief that the service he receives can always be better, but he’s also a loyal little guy:

Those aren’t idle threats, by the way, not from a cat who attacked his own sitter — whom he’s known for his entire life — in a bratty outburst prompted by his disappointment that it was her and not Big Buddy coming through the front door. She’ll still feed him, God bless her, but she will no longer hang out and play with him, and who can blame her? 🙂

Merry Christmas from Buddy!

Buddy saved up his profits from dealing catnip and got me a touching gift for Christmas.

Little Buddy got a great gift for me this Christmas:

The text reads:

Dear Cat Dad,

Thank you for being my dad. If some other man was my dad, I’d piss on his shoes, claw up his face, and go find you.

Love,

Bud

Such a heartwarming message! It brings a tear to my eye. (Although I’ll have to talk to Buddy about his punctuation. We don’t use the Oxford comma in this house.)

Like any proud parent whose kid takes up a paper route or an after school job and buys presents with his own money for the first time, I beam with joy knowing Buddy sold enough catnip to neighborhood kitties to buy this mug for me. My little one is growing up!