Saturday, July 28, 2018

It's Cody's 11th Adoption/"Gotcha" Day!!!

Where in the world has the time gone?

I can barely believe that today we are celebrating Cody's ELEVENTH Adoption/Gotcha Day.




On July 28th, 2007 (which happened to also be a Saturday), I adopted Cody, "the cat formerly known as Prince", from an adoption drive at our local Petco which ironically CLOSED a mere TWO weeks after I adopted him. 
Cody as a baby before his eyes turned green

I had attended the adoption drive with a girlfriend, I had NO INTENTIONS of adopting a cat that day because my beloved 18 year old Angel Bobo had gone to the bridge on July 2nd, 2007, just a few weeks before I adopted Cody. I simply went to get a "cat fix" because I missed my Bobo terribly.  A few weeks earlier I had visited  the SAME Petco. I recalled seeing Cody that day, but since I was never drawn to gray kitties, and I was too sad about Bobo, I left. Two weeks later on July 28th I was there again. It was Cody's litter mates who most attracted me because they most resembled my Bobo. Those kitties had other plans, neither of them were interested in ME.
Cody as a kitten before his eyes turned green!



My eyes fell on the gray kitten again who was merrily jumping, hopping and cavorting in the back of the cage. I looked at his foster mom and said "May I please see the gray one?" She handed me that little fluff ball, I sat down on a chair, Cody looked at me and crawled up my chest......he made NO EFFORT to leave. That was it. I sat in that chair petting him and talking to him for at least a half hour.


His foster Mom said he was her favorite and that is why she called him "Prince." He was a lover boy and a cuddle bug, he still is. 


Cody and I on his adoption day July 28th, 2007


 Then I called my husband and said, "I found a special cat and I am adopting him, I will be home to get his carrier and then I am coming back to get him." My husband thought I was nuts, that it was too soon after Bobo leaving us. I told him I KNEW that this cat was special, I knew in my heart I was right.




When I brought Cody home and opened the carrier the little shit (yes, little shit), I called him that because there wasn't an ounce of fear in his body. He didn't hide, nope, never. He came out of the carrier and strutted around the living room checking out his new digs with his little pot belly (which he still has), acting as if he owned the place. From that moment, Cody was "home."


I had always thought there would never be another cat that I would love as much as I loved my Bobo, and for the first year or so of Cody's life I felt guilty because of my constant comparisons to Bobo which often put Cody in a lesser light.
Cody in 2010

As the years have gone by, I can say that I COMPLETELY love Cody as much as I loved my Bobo, but in a different way. They are DIFFERENT CATS. My Bobo was fearful, timid, non-trusting, but he was devoted to ME.


Cody is FEARLESS, easy-going, a cuddler, hilarious, insistent, determined and far less devoted to me than Bobo was. I attribute that to the fact that Bobo was the "only" pet for his entire 18 years of life, Cody had my husband AND me, and then the following October Dakota came to live with us. Cody had others instead of just me to give him attention.



 Truth be told there are MANY times Cody is much more obsessed with my husband than he is with me, and yep, sometimes I get pangs of jealousy because after all, I am "team cat" and my husband is more "team dog", but my husband and Cody DO share a special bond which makes me happy.


I have no reason to doubt Cody's love though, he has his own rituals with each of us, and every night when I am on the couch watching TV, Cody sits next to me to be petted and to have me cooing and fussing over him.I am also the one he seeks out for playtime and the one he KNOWS will give him tastes of chicken from my dinner.


Today, as we celebrate Cody's Adoption/"Gotcha Day" I am forever grateful that I returned to that Petco and decided to pick up that playful gray bundle of fur. I am forever grateful that Cody virtually chose ME, he clung to me that day and has given me the greatest gift I could ever hope to have. Cody has given me the gift of his silliness, his cuddly ways, even his irritating habits that drive me insane, but more importantly, he has given me his trust and ALWAYS his LOVE.  I love you my crazy "Codester", I stopped comparing you to Bobo years ago. YOU are unique, you are precious, you helped heal my broken heart, you make me laugh and smile more than you know. You are equally as special, YOU are loved more than you could imagine. There will never be another kitty like you.....never. Thank you for choosing ME to share your life with.  I LOVE YOU. "Mom"



71 comments:

  1. Happy gotcha day, Cody! It's true, we are all different kitties, so our humans will love us differently. My human's soul cat was from the 1980s and 1990s, but the two of them had a completely different relationship than the one I have with my human. Her soul cat was wild, semi-feral and temperamental - and utterly loyal to my human. I'm easy going and docile - and I trust my human implicitly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody! We like that you're independent and a little bit of everything ... one never knows what to expect ... you just know it's gonna be good!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aww, Happy Gotcha Day!!! Love the photos. Have a pawsome day from all of us!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cody, Mom and I hope you have a wonderful gotcha celebration - you were so lucky your Mom saw you at Petco all those years ago. When we see the RIGHT ONE we know how to behave to draw attention to ourselves and your strategy worked for you just as mine worked for me!! I hope you have a wonderful celebration of your "gotcha day".....

    Love, Teddy

    ReplyDelete
  5. happy adoption day Cody and I love the name you picked and very much enjoyed this story as I smiled my way through it.....

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is a great story. Happy Gotcha Day to Prince Cody. Cody's first day was very similar to Chris's first day. Chris strutted around the house like he owned the place even though there were four other cats that didn't bother to challenge him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. they knew better! I am not one bit surprised that Cody and Chris are similar!

      Delete
  7. Happy 11th Gotcha Day, sweet Cody. What a great little tale this is. And what a sweet companion Cody must be. Dad says he did the "Cat fix" thing for a while after losing Orbit, but was too sad for about 2 years. And then along came me! Happy weekend, y'all.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a wonderful adoption story - it brought tears to my eyes. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Gotcha day. Love your photos.
    Sue B

    ReplyDelete
  10. Aw, Caren, that's a wonderful post for Cody's adoption day.

    Happy Gotcha Day, Cody; smooches from our biped and head butts from us. 🙂

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cody, you are one in a million! Happy Gotcha Day, fella!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy Gotcha Day Cody!!! We sure enjoyed reading all about you and how you knew to pick the right Mom, ya done good pal!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Admitting that so often when I start reading a long post, I do not finish ... but here ... I could not stop. I loved your story, loved the story of Bobo and of course, Cody's story and how he came to be part of your life. Your family life ~ all of you! What a special little guy he has been and what a special day it was when you found one another ... happy day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Ann I sooooooooo understand! I do the same! I am sorry it was so long!! I was feeling sad and emotional that it has been 11 years already and that is what happened. I thought of shortening it, but it was from the heart and written on the fly, so I went with it. THANK YOU for reading all the way through and for such a lovely comment. Thank you!!

      Delete
  14. ♫♪Happy Gotcha Day to you♪♫
    ♫♪Happy Gotcha Day to you♪♫
    ♫♪Happy Gotcha Day Dear Cody♪♫
    ♫♪Happy Gotcha Day to you!♪♫

    Have a purrfect Gotcha Day. My best to your peeps. ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  15. How interesting to read this post about Cody. Happy 11th Gotcha Day to you. I looked at Cody's eyes when he was a kitten and I could see a tint of green in them before they turned.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What an absolutely PURRFECT story, Caren! (Yeah, I was gonna use another adjective, but only "purrfect" seemed appropriate. :D) And, it really rings true--bet it does for all of us who've had at least one "cat before"!--the wondering how you can ever love another furbaby as much (or even CLOSE to as much, which is all you let yourself think, at the beginning), and then, a little guilt, when you realize one day that, miraculously, YOU DO...

    Like you, Boomer is as different from each of his two "brothers-before-him" as could be... but my heart expanded to love him just as much--or who HE is, without comparisons or any guilt--and both of us are WORLDS richer for it. :)

    So, Happy Gotcha Day to Cody, and to you and your hubby (ok, and Dakota), because you're all in this together!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love this story ♥
    Happy Gotcha Day, Cody.
    Keep cuddling :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a lovely post!

    Happy Gotcha Day, darling Cody!

    Purrs xx
    Athena and Marie

    ReplyDelete
  19. Happy Gotcha Day cutie! I am glad you gotcha'd such a wonderful home. XO

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love the story and all the pictures. Cody's Dad's mustache is a perfect match for grey furs, it was meant to be. Happy Gotcha Day to everybody!
    xxoo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never thought of that before with Dad's mustache MOL. But...Dad and Dakota look exactly alike! Mom and I have the exact same color eyes :)

      Delete
  21. Oh my cat I love this post! Thanks for sharing this sweet story about the Codester! That’s exactly how I imagined his purrsonality to be - fearless, confident and a prankster, kind of like our Mr. Jack.

    I wish you many wonderful years with Cody. And to Cody, happy Gotcha Day buddy! You are one of a kind. I hope you get spoilt with lots of fussing and treats for you today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!!! I love when you call him "Codester" like I do!! Yep, your Mr.Jack ALWAYS reminds me of Cody!!! Thanks so much!!

      Delete
  22. Oh awnty Caren, that's a bootyful story. We are so glad you and Cody found each other. Ya'll are just gawjus together. Happy Gotchaday Cody. We know your day will be purrfect and your life filled with luv. Big hugs

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Raena

    ReplyDelete
  23. Happy Gotcha Day Cody.
    Cheerish every minutes with your humans. Time is running so fast.
    Ronrons
    Hisia

    ReplyDelete
  24. Enjoy your Gotcha Day all of you. Rescue furkids seem more appreciative than yours that have had a beter life. I wish many more Happy Gotcha Days

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Um...Cody WAS adopted, so he IS a "rescue".......he had a foster home. My Angel Bobo was found on the street during a blizzard when he was six months old, I have no idea what his life was like before coming to me, so that is probably why he is more "appreciative" than Cody. Cody was blessed to know love from a very young age. His foster Mom adored him too.

      Delete
  25. Happy 11th Gotcha Day Cody!!! We loving reading the great story on you got adopted Cody. Mom and Dad look so happy. Thanks for sharing the photos throughout the last eleven years. Have a great weekend and keep the celebration going.
    World of Animals

    ReplyDelete
  26. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody! Wow, did you luck out or what ending up in this home. Reading this, it's clear how much love there is!

    ReplyDelete
  27. What a beautiful post ! Happy Gotcha Day Cody, we wish you a wonderful day ! We enjoyed reading the story of your adoption ! Purrs

    ReplyDelete
  28. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody! You sure got gotted into a good home.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Happy Gotcha Day Cody ! And many more !

    ReplyDelete
  30. Happy gotcha day, Cody! You have a great adoption story, and you sure landed in a terrific home! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Happy Gotcha Day sweetie!
    Have a wonderful weekend...

    Noodle and crew

    ReplyDelete
  32. What a wonderful story!
    Happy Gotcha Day Cody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Purrs Georgia,Julie and JJ

    ReplyDelete
  33. Happy Gotcha Day Cody! Lucky you were still there when your mom decided to go back and have a second look! You made a good choice Cody. Keep taking good care of your mum and dad! Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody! You sure picked yourself a wonderful home.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody. I enjoyed reading your story. I agree that you can love another cat, but in a completely different way to the one you loved before.

    ReplyDelete
  36. great photos! You all look very happy with one another! Happy Gotcha day!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Happy Gotcha Day, Cody!! What a wonderful story. Cody was obviously meant to be with your family and I'm so glad you found each other. xxoo
    ♥ Much love from all of us at Wag 'n Woof Pets.♥

    ReplyDelete
  38. Happy happy 11th Gotcha Day sweet Cody. How lucky you are to find your furever home and peeps as a kitten. Enjoy this day sweet boy!

    Emma and Buster

    ReplyDelete
  39. Ahh, you have me in tears reading this. I'm so happy the two of you found each other (er, three of you, four of you?).

    ReplyDelete
  40. What a beautiful gotcha story, Cody and Mom Caren! It's clear that you gotcha'd the bestest home ever. :) LOVE and HUGS!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Happy Gotcha Day to you both!
    The pictures are beautiful.
    How wonderful that you found each other! May you have many more happy years together.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oh 11 years of joy! Happy gotcha day and may you have 11 more xoxox

    ReplyDelete
  43. Aww, I love this gotcha story! So sweet! Happy gotcha day, Cody, I'm so glad you got gotted, well, that you, yourself, chose and gotcha-ed your mom!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Happy (belated) Gotcha Day!!

    The Florida Furkids

    ReplyDelete
  45. Happy belated gotcha day, Cody! Your story always makes our hearts warmer. And you're right that humans love each cat differently, just like we love them differently from each other. Each relationship between a cat and human is a little different, and that's what makes them unique and precious.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Happy Gotcha Day Cody!! We loved your Mama's story it was beautiful :)

    xoxo,
    Matilda & Matt

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hi Cody!
    What a wonderful human you chose! Queen Penelope tells me that you ARE a furry special Man Cat and that you really know how to treat the ladies (Human and Feline) that you are personable and quite the comedian!
    She says that I should emulate YOU!
    Now I MUST sing you the song!
    ♫♪♥♥♥♥♫♪Happy Gotcha Day to you ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥
    ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Gotcha Day to you ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥
    ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Gotcha Day Dear NAMECody!!!!! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥
    ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Gotcha Day to you! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥
    Purrs
    Marv and
    Many Special Kisses
    Your Nellie Bellie

    ReplyDelete
  48. Oh my goodness, Cody!! Please make time slow down!! We hope you had a great Gotcha Day and loved your story! Purrs from Deb and the Zee/Zoey gang.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Happy 11th Gotcha Day Cody... what a precious post
    Hugs madi and omm

    ReplyDelete
  50. Yes, your mommy is right, you are a very special kitty, Cody, living with a very special mom. We loved your story and could picture every word. Happy Gotcha Day and Extra Pawkisses for many many more :) <3

    ReplyDelete
  51. A lovely story. Our animal friends have a way of wiggling their way into the very depths of our hearts!

    ReplyDelete
  52. happee bee lated two ewe dood N heerz ta 111 mor......we wish ewe a yeer a head filled with happeez, healtheez, stay IN trubull & we hope mom & dad let ya sell a brate with perch pizza pie N donutz....and KNOT...burd ;) ♥♥♥☺☺☺

    ReplyDelete
  53. What a lovely post! We "inherited" our cat when my husband's mother died. She's a real character and brings us so much joy.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Happy (belated) Gotcha Day to Cody! I'm so happy you went back to Petco that day and came home with a new love!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Cody darling, I wished you a Happy Gotcha Day on Face Book but here is where it is more important for this is yours and Dakota's home. Well, your mommy's and daddy's too. Your story reminded my mm of mine and hers. She was totally broken when Admiral passed to the Bridge. Five weeks later I showed up and drowned her with love. She compared me too with Admiral but she loves me for myself and my qualities just as she did Admiral. We are and were both loved through to the bone. And we both love(d) her the same. XXXX Have a happy Day dear Cody. Many more of them through the years.

    ReplyDelete
  56. oh sweet girl!! I hadn't realized that you came into your Mom's life 5 weeks after Admiral passed. Oh my our stories are sooo similar! I am so happy your Mama found you!!! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  57. TO EVERYONE!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for your beautiful comments on Cody's Gotcha/Adoption Day post. Some of you I answered individually, I want to answer everyone but I am sooo behind due to being away from the computer for DAYS with visiting family, etc. THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to read this post and for your loving comments, THANK YOU!! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  58. I'm a little late with the Happy Gotcha Day wishes but I just love this story! I've learned that new furrbabies never replace the ones who have traveled over the Rainbow Bridge but they find their own place in our hearts. It's so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Oh, My Catness, How did I miss this:(

    Happy (Very) Belated Gotcha Day, Cody!
    You are so special indeed! I, Pipo hope you have eleventybajillion more of these days!

    Pipo is the fifth of six meezer kitties that have been here...(Minko was the sixth, because he was a few days younger, even though they came here on the same day), and each one has been very different. Some were *my* kitties and other's were Papwppy's. Pipo seems to favor Pawppy...and only comes to me when he isn't nearby. Minko mostly was a mommy's kitty:)
    ome of my kitties were greeter kitties...they enjoyed it when peeps would come to visit, and they had to help/snoopervise workers who were here...and some even would decide they had to get up on them to wash the hair of those strangers, OMC! MOL! Minko was a nervous rascal, and would hide for hours even after strangers were gone...Pipo will stay clear but he will come out to check from a distance. Two were good furends of MJF, Pipo is not and nevfur was, even with Dalton who is smaller than him.
    They are all rather like children...none of them are the same either, even though they all share the same parents.
    But...how we love and cherish them all!

    ReplyDelete