Mr. Wilson

This is a post about my quilting companion Wilson, just because it's been a while since I talked about him.

Wilson "supervising" quilting.

I got Wilson while I was going to college.  Two years living in the dorms was the longest I'd ever gone in my life without a cat.  When I moved off campus into a duplex getting a cat was high on my priority list.

 I found a one-woman no-kill cat shelter and drove down on a cold February day to meet her 100+ cats.  I should mention, at this point, that Wilson is allergic to cats.  Yes, you read that right.  A cat who is allergic to cats.  When he is the only cat in the house it's not too bad.  He sneezes a lot, if he rough houses too much he breathes loudly, and his eyes run constantly. 

At the cat shelter, living with hundreds of other cats, it was a different story.  Even with twice a day allergy pills he was, well, pretty gross.  He breathed so loudly, even at rest, that he sounded like Darth Vader.  He had big snot globs clogging up his nose and going all over and he sneezed almost non stop.  It was gross, I really wasn't interested in him.  Besides, Wilson was already a year and a half old and I'd been planning on a younger cat.  But, while I was walking around looking at other cats, Wilson kept following me and climbing up into my arms.  He purred his phlem-y purr and eventually fell asleep in my arms.

The cat lady said, "Is he just melting your heart?"  "Yes," I said. "Does he do this with everyone?"  She said most people couldn't stand him for long enough to give him the chance.  She told me she was 95% sure that he was allergic to cats, didn't have a chronic respiratory infection or anything.  "When you've had him home a few days he should clear up," she promised.  My brain wasn't so sure about this.  If you'd been him back then you would have thought he had some major medical issues.  But, my heart said yes and on Feb. 14, 2009 my sniffling, wheezing, snotty baby was delivered by the cat lady.

Holding down a UFO

It took a few weeks, but gradually I noticed that Wilson's wheezing was quieter and his sneezing was less.  These days I just have to watch that he doesn't get too overexerted and start wheezing, and occasionally I find dried cat boogers stuck to the wall that need cleaning.  Oh, and he snores quite loudly. If there are other cats in the house I give him an allergy pill at night to sleep.  I think being so stopped up during his development may have permanently affected his balance.  He isn't graceful like other cats at all.  He's "special".

Wilson: Quilt Inspector performs a quality control assessment

I really appreciate the cat lady for being Wilson's first mama.  She not only saved his life, she gave him a name and looked out for him.  She had over a hundred cats in her care and she knew every one's name and personality and preferences.  If you have anyone like her in your area, I'd encourage you to support them.

After a run in with a snake.

Wilson has such a funny little personality.  I've had a lot of cats and I don't think any of them have had a personality like his.  He likes to be in my lap whenever possible.  If I had a dime for every time I've leaned across him to reach my sewing machine...  Every morning he comes and noses around my face until I raise up the bed covers to let him under.  He turns a few circles until he finds a good spot and then lays down with his head on the pillow and his body under the covers.

 He is a special, special boy and I'm lucky to have him.