Profiles in Dopeness: Rufus the Cat

We've been so serious around here. I thought we could use some fluff.

So I thought I'd profile a very important entity in my life; Rufus the cat.

I accquired this gentleman on a summer weekend trip to Wildwood, NJ in 2002
when I still lived in Virginia. My friend Nicole's sister Jackie had encountered a family of cats on a misty late-night Cape May County road, huddled together in a box in the middle of the street.

Looking to unload some of these 6 new family members, Nicole asked if I'd consider taking one home with me. After carefully interviewing all six, I settled on this handsome boy; as he was the one who seemed to like me the most and he had a pretty awesome white diamond on his forehead.

Rufus got his name because on the long, hot drive back to Virginia in the old Lincoln Town Car, we listened to Rufus Wainwright. My mom had put some bottled water in the freezer for the ride home, and Rufus spooned one of the frozen-solid bottles for the better part of the 4 hour trip trying to say cool.

Among Rufus' chief interests are sleeping, grooming the other cats, lounging, posing, and caterwauling in the kitchen late at night.

He often "kills" pears or apples that he has hunted down on the kitchen counter, and presents them as tokens of his affection; and generally enjoys knocking anything off of the counter.

When the world is getting to be a bit too much for Rufus, he retires to a kitchen or bathroom cabinet for undisclosed stretches of time; and upon his exit from said cabinets Rufus is the most non-challant fella on the block. Even if you're in the middle of a fancy dinner party.

Lest you think Rufus is nothing more than a selfish layabout, I assure you, he loves his fellow cat. When he first came home with me, we had another male cat, Tigger. There was no growling/posturing between Rufus & Tigger. They were pals straight away, and remained inseparable until my Mom had to move, and the boys were split up. In that fateful car ride back to New Jersey, Rufus and Tigger washed and comforted eachother until they were ripped apart. Tigger now lives with my brother Butch, Rufus came home with my sister and I. Rufus has tried to forge relationships with subsequent cat-roommates, but he mostly gets abuse from them. But still, he is a lover, and he tries to wash them and protects them from the beastly dog, Uma.