It's a nice day for a cat wedding
The wedding planners had a problem on their hands. With only a half hour until the ceremony and a standing-room-only crowd gathered, the bride was hiding under a cabinet and refused to come out. So they did what they had to do: They switched brides.
Cat weddings can be like that. The one recently at the Baltimore County Humane Society in celebration of Valentine's Day was a goofy yet glorious affair, with roses and violins and salmon mousse. Having Luna, a year-old black cat with green eyes, passed off as the original bride, Comfrey, a seven-month-old black cat with green eyes, only made the day, like any good love story, more intriguing.
Those in on the secret saw it more as a human, rather than feline, failing. Comfrey's bridal shower that morning at the Owings Mills PetSmart, where she collected wedding gifts for the shelter, had been a hit. But that followed by the wedding was probably more than any cat bride could take.
Winslow, the 10-month-old groom, was first to the altar. His eyes said it all: He was afraid, very afraid. Then his whiskers began to twitch. Luna was carried in next. Her contented expression suggested she somehow understood that her day had suddenly grown more interesting. She sniffed Winslow's face (the two had never met) and then curled up on the altar as if preparing for a nap.
The minister, Roy List, not in on the switcheroo, said the crowd was gathered to witness the "meowly catrimony" of Comfrey and Winslow. Rather than deal with cumbersome rings, he had the two exchange collars, placing pink charm-filled bands around their necks and declaring them mates. The crowd cheered and rose to its feet.
The cats didn't stay; they were escorted back to their cages.
At the reception, guests remarked that this bride and groom were better behaved than the cats from last year's wedding, who swatted at each other. The three-tier wedding cake by local foodie and animal lover, Diane Feffer Neas, went fast. And wedding gifts piled up: a 12-pack of Bounty paper towels, two bottles of bleach, a 40-pound bag of cat litter.
Luna and Winslow had one more treat ahead. They were going to spend the night in the Humane Society's honeymoon suites, separate but larger cages.
"We'll see what the future brings," the minister said after the ceremony. "Like most brides and grooms, they behave themselves on their wedding day, and it goes downhill from there."
See more photos from the wedding here.
Comments
But what happened to the swatters from last year? Inquiring minds want to know if they're still a couple.
And, if not, how do they obtain a cat divorce?
That is a very good question. They were adopted but not to the same home, so alas, their marriage was short-lived.
Posted by: Kate | February 24, 2009 12:10 PM
Under federal law, marriage is between a man and a woman. So two cats may have a domestic (cat) partnership, which would not require a divorce at its end. But they wouldn't have a marriage.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 24, 2009 1:15 PM
They both wore pink? I don't think it's going to last.
Posted by: PeterJ | February 24, 2009 5:25 PM
I adopted Winslow on 2/21. He's such a sweetheart ^_^
Posted by: callista | February 25, 2009 9:02 AM
nice blog! Cat weddings can be like that!
Posted by: magnet invitation | March 3, 2009 1:27 AM