Nicknames: Zacky, Zachary, Mr. Boy, Gray Goose, Handsome.Anniversary: August 6, 2004.
Best Feature: Faintly striped tail.
Favorite Foods: Chinese take-out, Tings.
Favorite Toy: Gray rattly mouse.
Talents: Catching toys midair with his paws.
Favorite Spot: Laying in the hallway by the door, where he can see everyone’s comings and goings.
Best Known For: Punctuality. Zack wakes me up every day an hour before my alarm goes off by meowing loudly. If I try to ignore him, he brushes his paw against my face and meows louder; or if I kick him out of the bedroom, he scratches on the door. In the evening, when I get home from work, he is always at the top of the stairs to greet me with a meow that says, “Feed me!”
How He Says “Hello”: “Raaarh!”
How He Gets What He Wants: Yowling.
Where to Find Him at Night: At the foot of my bed.
Zack’s Story: Zack was the first cat I had after graduating college. When I brought him home, he spent the first few hours hiding under my bed while I paced around worrying, “What have I done? I’m not ready to be a parent, yet!” He had been hanging outside of a friend’s house for a few weeks, and didn’t belong to any of their neighbors. He was skinny and had fleas, but he was friendly and neutered, so he was probably someone’s cat at some point. During a torrential downpour, when he took cover inside a cardboard box my friend put out for him, I broke down and took him to my apartment. He has wreaked havoc throughout my life, killing birds (he’s an indoor cat!), escaping, getting scary urinary tract infections, and stealing food from my guests. But he is also very loving and goofy, and has brought me a tremendous amount of joy.
Go here to meet Lucy.
Posts
Good luck ever trying to ignore a cat! They're rather insistent little devils. My cat is famous for yowling loudly whenever I'm on the phone. Some people even ask if there is a screaming baby in my house!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've been able to give Zack a good home. He looks like he's doing quite well living with you. I'm curious: Does he eat vegan cat food?
ZACK ATTACK!! Meow...
ReplyDeleteKristen, I know exactly the noise you are talking about because Zack makes the "screaming baby" noise, too. Those little buggers!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first got Zack, I was feeding him cheap, meaty cat food, which quickly led to a urinary tract infection. You won't be surprised to hear the food was "cheap" because I wasn't really knowledgeable about cat care at the time. After Zack's UTI cleared up, I tried to switch him to a vegan diet, but the infection returned. It seems the only food his little body can take is Hills C/D (prescription food from the veterinarian). I do mix it with vegan food to cut down on the animal use (my other cat, Lucy, eats a vegan food called Evolution, and she's one of the happiest, healthiest cats her vet has ever seen!). But UTIs are common in male cats and once they get one, they become more prone to them in the future.
The vegan cat issue is a really tricky one to navigate-- I sort of have to choose between my cat's health, my own values, and the lives of other anonymous animals. Perhaps I will expand on it in a future post. Thanks for asking!
Rob, yes, doesn't Zack look quite terrifying in that picture? :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha. Faintly striped tail.
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