Hi! My name is Miranda, and this is Franklin. Welcome to our blog!
We are so glad you've chosen to follow along with Franklin as he grows from a tiny 3.7 pound Ragdoll kitten into a 25-30 pound (yikes!) fully grown Ragdoll cat. I am so excited and so so nervous.
You see, I have always been a dog person. I have nothing against cats, per se, but I am allergic to them. All my life I avoided cats pretty much at all costs, always afraid of rubbing a cat hair in my eye and suddenly dealing with the most excruciating pain, which would then go along with an uncomfortably stuffy nose and my throat tightening to the point where I felt like I couldn't breathe. Of course, cats were drawn to me like a magnet, as they always seem to be able to sense out a person who is allergic to them. Hence, the life-long avoidance.
Since I couldn't be besties with a cat, growing up I gravitated towards hypoallergenic dogs, making them my besties instead. Their companionship and unconditional love and snuggles was always the thing I needed most in this world (and, I'll admit, still kind of do). I especially gravitated towards the cute, little, white, fluffy dogs- I love running my hands through their fur, it's so soft! I always pictured myself as a dog mom, growing up to be that weird lady who lives by herself and has too many dogs. But life has a funny way of surprising you when you least expect it.
In Autumn of 2021, I met John, my now boyfriend, and before we started dating he invited me over for dinner and a movie at his place. I was so nervous and excited because I had a huge crush on him, but the thing I was most nervous about? John is a cat dad. He owned two cats, Tiger and Kap. I could barely be in the same room with a cat for more than a few hours. How could I let myself fall for a man who owned cats? It would never work; I couldn't be around cats 24/7. Dang allergies!
(The secret cat parents tell people with cat allergies that we never ever believe is this: if you're around a cat long enough, your allergies get better. And get better they did.)
Despite my allergies, I went over to John's apartment for a movie and dinner and thank God I did because not only did I end up falling in love with John, but I fell in love with his two cats, too. Over the course of the next almost two years, I became the thing I never thought I would be: A cat mom. In my fantasies of the future I always envisioned myself as a dog mom, and yet there I was living with the man of my dreams and the two sweetest, most precious cats I never knew existed.
Almost two years into my relationship with John, our worst fear happened: Tiger suddenly passed away. His death broke our hearts. We had so much love to give, needing a snuggle bug to hold and kiss and be with - Tiger was very dog-like in that respect, always wanting to be with you and be loved by you - and Kap wasn’t having it. Kap has never been a snuggle bug, and though he is trying his best with us right now, I can tell he secretly hates lying next to us, usually preferring to be in the same room but at least a good 6 feet apart. And so, with all the love we had to give, we decided to adopt a new fur baby. One who could take on all the kisses and hugs and snuggles that Kap didn’t need or want, but that John and I did.
And so, we adopted Franklin!
John researched many types of breeds, and the one that kept coming up as our perfect cat was Ragdoll. Ragdoll cats are known for being incredibly sweet, loving, and huge snuggle bugs, and boy was that research correct! Franklin loves to crawl all over us, give kisses on our faces, and fall asleep curled up in our laps. He is the cat-dog I never knew I could have, let alone fall in love with.
Welcome to the family, Franklin Tiger. We are so happy you’re here!
~This blog is dedicated to Tiger. There is no other cat that can ever live up to the memory he leaves behind, and I, as well as everyone else who had the honor of meeting Tiger, understand what it is to love a cat, and be loved by a cat, thanks to him.
This blog is also dedicated to everyone who has ever lost a pet and been too scared to give their endless love to a new fur baby. Because I’ll be honest, while looking to adopt it totally felt like cheating on past pets. But you know what? Adopting and being able to give a new animal a new life, no matter for how long they may be with us, is the most incredible gift we can give to an animal.~
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