lots of claws

Tango, Puma, & Zephyr

Cats. Love them or hate them. I love them, and so does my husband, so that leaves us in a bit of a pickle. A big, cat-filled pickle.

Prior to April we had four kitties, but then the first cat we brought home after we got married passed away. It was extremely sad. Soon after he left us, we noticed there wasn’t any more marking. He had feline diabetes, and all the cats seemed to be in a war for who could mark the most. That left for a very unhappy mama. The defense of territory stopped, and I reiterated what I had said thousands of times, I would never have more than three cats at one time.

Then the inevitable showed up. Three stray kittens in our front yard. We fed them outside, and I was okay with keeping them there. We would keep them full and they would be free to roam. Then I heard the snarling and growling of the neighbors pit bulls, and I worried. What if those kittens went over the fence? The final straw was when one of the tabby’s wouldn’t open his eye. I thought it had been scratched out!

I said we couldn’t let them continue their life of homelessness, we needed to take them in. But, my plan was to only keep one and find homes for the other two. Adorable kitties can find good loving homes right? Wrong. No one wanted them. My husband agreed that we should bring them inside. The vet checked the one with the hurt eye, just an infection.

I kept wondering what we were doing, and I expressed my concerns. My kindhearted husband said that our hearts were being hardened. I am the one who will stop the car in the middle of traffic to catch a lost dog. I was even the cause of my sweet hubby being bitten by a little fur ball once because we just had to get him back to his owners. 

I didn’t want the mess that cats make. I didn’t want more fur in my already allergy induced home. I didn’t want more cats wanting my attention that is already spread between one husband, two toddlers, two dogs, and three cats. Then I asked myself what was more important. Is it that I have a Mrs. Clever house, or that these cute kittens have a safe and loving home? I voted for the latter. I couldn’t let them be hit by a car or chewed by a dog.

So, they are staying. They aren’t like ferrel cats, they were scared to death of us, but they are warming up. All the animals are learning to get along with one another, and we are all better for it.

kindness 101 – what we can learn from a child

The words “outgoing” and “friendly” describe my daughter, Pumpkin, to a tee. This comes as a bewilderment to her mother who is an introvert.
Pumpkin loves going to the library, and the one I chose happened to have a large play area in the middle of the children’s book section. She was busy looking at all the cool toys when some kids and their mom came to play.
Pumpkin waved and said, “Hi.”
That was okay with me. Saying “hi” was a nice gesture, and I like that she’s friendly.
Pumpkin decided that she wanted to look at some books near the newcomers. She headed over there and as she walked by, she added, “My name is Pumpkin.”
The mom was caught slightly off guard, but she smiled and said, “Hi Pumpkin.”
I found myself a little embarrassed, because like I said, I am an introvert. I would like to divert any attention away from myself.
Soon Pumpkin was standing next to a large wooden car which another girl was driving. They were smiling at each other, but not saying much.
This girl’s sister showed up and said, “Allison it’s time to go.”
The girl hopped out of the car and said, “Bye,” as she skipped away.
Pumpkin had a confused look cross over her face. “When Allison coming back?”
I thought it was so sweet that she wanted to know when this girl, whom she hadn’t spoken to, or met before, was coming back. In those moments sitting in the libraries play area I wanted my life to be more like that of my daughters. I wanted adults to be friendlier towards each other. We can learn a lot from little kids. They are unashamed to be kind and talk to strangers.
I have to find a balance with my children in teaching them to be friendly to others, yet be aware of “stranger danger.” I am not sure where that balance is, but I hope that I can foster friendliness in my kids.
A smile never hurt anyone. =)