Taiyo Kitagawa & Lebowski

"I was living in San Francisco when a college friend got a kitten from the@SPCA. He later found out his apartment didn't allow pets. I offered to cat-sit until he figured things out since I've always wanted a cat and thought of this as good practice to see if I could take care of one. Lebowski (aka Meowski), 8 months old at the time, came out of the SPCA adoption box as the lankiest cat I've ever seen. He was so curious and friendly and before I knew it I'd wake up to him cuddling on top of me. When I would contact my friend (the original owner) about paying for various cat expenses, he wouldn't respond to my texts. Not until I mentioned I was moving to New York, and asked what he wanted to do with Lebowski. He suggested taking him back to the shelter. I was infuriated. It's so irresponsible to adopt an animal you aren't committed to taking care of. I decided to take Lebowski with me to New York, on the longest flight of my life with him howling non-stop for 6 hours. After a year in New York, I went through a breakup and had to find a new apartment ASAP. My new place had a roommate who said he's allergic and wouldn't be able to live with a cat. Lebowski stayed at my ex's apartment for almost a year with heart-breaking visits until the roommate agreed to Lebowski living with us. It's my third year in this apartment and everything's finally in a good place. I always envisioned having a tiny little girl cat that would sit on my lap, but I got the exact opposite. Lebowski's super long and can't sit on my lap without spilling over. That being said, he's the sweetest cat anyone could ask for. He's super loyal and runs to the door when I come home, and curls up on the bed when I'm going to sleep. He sits for his food and generally follows me around to be close, but isn't in my face about it. His favorite food is ice cream. He's obsessed. He usually sits patiently next to me till he gets to lick the spoon when I'm done. I bet he can't wait for summer." @taiyoholic