Cats Aren't Hypoallergenic Pet Solo

Backdated to August 30th, 2023
Magical Menagerie

Rory was still in slight disbelief as he stepped into Magical Menagerie with his father, Lewis. While Lewis made way to speak to the elderly couple that owned the store, Mr. and Mrs. Witticker, apparently, the young boy made his way around the store to search for proper supplies for his new pet. In his arms he cradled a carrier, careful to disturb the creature inside as little as possible.

As Rory scanned the shelves for the items he still needed to purchase, an impatient meow came from the carrier he held. "Sorry, Blossom, it will just be a little bit longer," he spoke in a soothing tone, as if talking to another person rather than a pet. And, honestly, Rory preferred the cat's company, anyway.

It was a miracle that Lewis and Alfie had relented on their strict no-pet policy. For years, their son had been begging for an animal companion, and was always met with a firm no. It became a particularly sore subject when Rory discovered that the family's neighbor had a cat, Molly. Often, he made trips to the elderly woman's home simply to play with her pet. Sometimes, the tabby cat had slipped out and ended up at the Hara household, much to the young boy's delight. He could spend hours just talking to the creature, or taking her on "walks," or playing dress-up. His fathers noted that the cat was surprisingly tolerant.

So when their neighbor came over one day, casually mentioning that Molly had kittens, Rory was cautiously hopeful. His emotions only heightened when he learned that she was searching for homes for the litter. Immediately after the woman left, he ran over to Alfie, his more lenient parent, putting on his best puppy eyes. "Can we please have one of them? I promise I'll take really great care of the kitten, and they're so cute and not really loud so that wouldn't be a problem. I'm sure you'd like one too, and I'll work extra hard at school, and I'll -"

His rambling was cut off by Lewis, who gave the answer he always did to these requests, "I know it's not easy for you, but you know that Alfie is allergic to their fur. It's just not very practical." Alfie gave a knowing glance at Lewis, almost as if he was considering saying something.

Then, Alfie turned back to Rory, petting the boy's soft blonde hair, "Sorry, Rory Bear. Why don't you go grab your jacket and we'll go out for ice cream?" He grinned at his son, who gave a watery smile back, a little crushed but trying to appear happy. Rory ran back to his room, where he could hear faintly the sound of a discussion between his parents. They seemed to be going back-and-forth on a topic.

A bit later, Rory and Alfie had returned from the ice cream parlor, the former in higher spirits due to the sugar he consumed. When the boy stepped into the living room, he was met with a sight completely unexpected. Lewis, his typically put-together father, scrambling to capture a little kitten. The man paled at the sight of his child and husband. "Well, it was meant to be a surprise."

Rory hugged Alfie, who was right beside him, before scrambling over to Lewis and giving him a similarly eager embrace. Then, he gently approached the kitten, who almost immediately came to him. Sweet, curious, and clearly preferred Rory to Lewis. It was a darling creature, with bright amber eyes and a soft brown tabby pattern. Not to mention a baby pink collar with a little bell.

Alfie began speaking, "You know, we felt like you could use a companion for your time at Hogwarts," before he sneezed. "We're going to need to pick up some allergy medicine, though."

Lewis added, "And of course you're going to help out with cleaning up that hair. So what are you going to name her?"

Rory was only half-listening to his parents, mostly invested in petting the little creature in front of him. "Um..." He looked at the cat, who seemed to be staring back, "Blossom."

And so Rory finally got that pet he had been begging for. And the timing was quite good, considering his new life was about to begin, and a reliable feline friend was just what he needed.

"Rory!" Lewis called from the back of the store. The trio, his father and the store owners, were watching him fondly. So he walked to meet them, holding Blossom and an assortment of supplies for her.

Word Count: 767

What animal do you wish to purchase? Brown Classic Tabby
What do you want to name it? Blossom
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? June 30th, 2023