How I met Nippers

I met Nippers on a chilly February evening in 1995. She was a scrawny stray kitty with dirty matted fur and huge ears that stuck out like big satellite dishes on her head. I put some food out for her and she wolfed it down in a few minutes. I'd never had any pets growing up, and I was a little disappointed that she showed little interest when I tried to pet her.

The following day she returned to my porch to eat the food I put out, but she was wary of coming inside and didn't care to be held or petted. After about a week of being rebuffed, I resigned myself to being a mere food provider for this cat, and decided to stop trying to make friends with her.

It was only then that she decided to adopt me.

That evening, instead of warily watching me from the porch as she ate, she walked right past the food dish into the living room. She thoroughly explored the apartment, laid down on the bed, and officially became a part of my family.