Yes, we now have a kitty.
Ashley's teacher brought it over Friday afternoon, and Rebecca let her come into the house with it. Thankfully, the lady didn't break her neck falling over the piles of toys in the floor.
We had him already set up with his own giant playpen (i.e., cage) for the back porch, and Rebecca spent the rest of the afternoon until we got home holding onto him. And making her eyes red. I think she's mildly allergic to cats--when the people who used to live next door would let their cat out, Rebecca would play with it and then get all itchy-eyed. I think it would probably help if she'd quit rubbing her eyes with the hand she rubs the cat with, but hey, what do I know?
Anyway, we got home and all took turns holding onto the kitty, and thankfully, none of the kids (i.e., Catherine) were too rough with it, and after a while, it pretty much was part of the family.
Still no name, though. I had suggested Salmon P. Chase, famed Supreme Court Chief Justice, and former Treasury Secretary whose likeness was on the $10,000 bill. I figure any ostensibly free kitten who has so far cost me so much was deserving of a suitably moneybags name. Also, there is the idea that cats like salmon, and chasing things, and peeing. Anyway, I was overruled.
The kids kept coming up with stuff, but it is Ashley's cat, so she was the one to name it.
He's sort of a mottled cafe au lait color on the top and sides, over white. He's got white and light brown rings on its tail, stripes and spots on its sides, and a wide branching white streak on its back. Like lightning. Thus, he has been dubbed Lightning.
UNFORTUNATELY, I left my camera at home this morning, but there'll be plenty of time for kitty pictures, but rest assured, he is as cute as a kitten should be.
The first part of Saturday I spent trying to come up with a suitable scratchy-hidey thing for him. They have all sorts of stuff at the pet store for cats to climb on, but I figured I'd alread spent enough on him. I figured a couple of sections of tubing with some carpet inside would be just the thing, so Boy and I set out for the hardware store and got a short length of cardboard concrete form tubing, then stopped at the carpet store and got a couple of discontinued (i.e., free) carpet samples.
Got the stuff home, cut a couple of segments off, expertly fishmouthed one tube so it would intersect neatly with the other at a right angle, cut a hole in the other tube, and duct-taped them together. I cut one of the carpet samples in half, put one piece in one tube, one in the other, and then wrapped some sisal rope around the outside for something to scratch on. It was a big hit with the cat set.
Sunday and yesterday, he proceded to explore, play with stuff in the flower beds, fuzz his tail up at shadows, fall over and sleep, lick his butt, jump and skitter, sharpen his claws, meow, purr, poop, eat, climb, and pounce, all repeated at two minute intervals. He's been a very good kitty so far, and hasn't seemed to be lonesome, so no late night caterwauling has been heard from him. Yet.
The kids seem to be doing okay with making sure his litter box is kept relatively free of noxious clumps, his water is nice and cold and clean, he has enough food, and that he has adequate social interaction, all of which hopefully will translate into him being well taken care of and happy even after he grows out of the kitten stage.
We shall see.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at May 30, 2006 08:54 AMAre your kids finished with school for the summer now?
Posted by: Jordana at May 30, 2006 09:47 AMYes, they are, but summer isn't really much of a break anymore.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 30, 2006 11:03 AM