Isn’t it amazing how siblings, born and raised in the same home, with the same genes, can be so different from each other? My name is Merrick and, out of a family of spotlight-seekers, I’m the wallflower. I’m the kind of guy who would rather write a poem or study birds than stand up and do karaoke in front of everyone.  That means, of course, that most of my family members strolled right up to potential adopters, charmed them immediately, and got adopted right away.  And me? Well, I may take some time to find my home, and I suppose that’s okay. “Take it slow” is kind of my motto for life, you know? The best way to make friends with me is to come greet me gently and quietly (I will probably be here in my cat tree, where I feel safe) and give me some time to get to know you. Soon enough, I will come out to see and hang out with you. I’m very loving and affectionate once I trust you and will flop down beside you and purr. It takes me a little longer to want to be held or in your lap, but I do like to be close to you and I’ll show you pretty clearly that I like you.  I’m cat-friendly, having come from a home with quite a few feline companions. I haven’t had enough contact with dogs to really know what I would think of them. I’d love to go to someone who is a gentle soul, just like me. A fairly quiet home would be ideal. I want to spend evenings curled up on the couch with you and your current book or crochet project or the latest documentary.