Sassy Cat Adopts New Humans...

Being petless for over 5 years now, we started surfing Petfinder to determine a suitable pet for us.  With condo assn limitations,a dog would have to be under 30# and no more than 2 cats.  One of us wanted a dog; but not a purse pup. One wanted a cat with very stringent requirements - declawed (also known as special needs cat - exclusive indoors due to our mated pair of bald eagle neighbors), mellow demeanor, quiet meow voice (not a Siamese yowl), soft fur, small size and interesting markings.  Tall order for cats up for adoption and not all things one can adequately evaluate in a quick meet and greet. 
We had a few near misses. 
Mr. M wanted a pair of litter mates... two cats... I wasn't even sure about a single cat. 
One cat looked great on paper, but hid in the closet the entire time we visited. 
Another had a prohibitive "rehoming fee" of $350. 
And a third elicited no response from the owners.

One evening, I surfed Craig's List - which is undeniably the pet rehoming source of which nightmares are generated.  After passing a few listings, I stopped at one that seemed almost perfect - 9yo black and white cow spotted cat, nearby was being rehomed due to Grandma going to nursing home and kid being severely allergic when the family tried to take Grandma's cat in.  After a brief email exchange, we had an address and a visit appointment.  We were going to see if Sassy Gal would like to adopt us... since we KNEW it wouldn't really be our decision, but hers.

Just prior to leaving, I was preparing chicken to marinate and bake for dinner - in retrospect a good cat attractant of raw meat juices on my hands.  I should have dabbed a bit behind each ear for good measure.  We located the home and the cat was immediately curious about us.  Very soft coat, mellow demeanor and looked like a go.  We had PLANNED to come back on Sunday and get her as we had a large family gathering planned.  Not conducive for new cat acclimation...  But her owner wanted to have her out of the house before the kids returned from school - so we loaded up her food, litter box and carrier and had a yowling, peeing, stinky ride home... her, not me or Mr. M.

We arrived at home and she promptly hid under the first bed she encountered for almost 3 days... then moved to the next bedroom and did the same... we had fleeting glimpses of her during those days.  She found her box, food and water with no mishaps.  We left her with all her accoutrements in the large bedroom for the duration of the large gathering... that way I also didn't have to clean that room! 
The next morning she was out and exploring the rest of the house, expressing her satisfaction with tail held high, purring and half-slit eyes.  All good signs according to all of the cat body language research I had been feverishly completing online.  She has now laid claim to the rocking chair and top floor landing of the stairway as her domain.  Queen of all she surveys.

With each move to a new area, I would grab her by the scruff and start her orientation from the litter box so she could explore at her own pace orienting from her familiar materials.  At some point, she decided by the scruff grab that I must be the alpha cat and has addressed me as such. 
Note:  I'm NOT typically a cat person... we got a cat so Mr. M would have company while he works remotely.  Mr. M is jealous...
I'm getting the company at bedtime.
I'm getting the leg rubs.
I'm getting the lap time with purrs and I have yet to clean a litter box or feed her. 
Your cat; your duties is our agreement. 
I guess I need to grab more folks by the scruff of the neck and show them who's boss...