ha! back in 2008 i didn’t know we’d add a rabbit and a dozen hamsters to the house as well. ollie is still alive and well.
— — — — — — — —
oh sweet mother.
i have never been a cat person. but as i move through my evening, i am nudged by that little pit in the belly…and i run through the catalog in my mind only to stop at my angst: we have a new kitty and i’m a little out of my comfort zone.
this new kitty of ours was found in a parking lot. hot and trembling. two other women had been clucking around trying to figure out what to do. one thought she saw it jump out of a car parked nearby. my kids were all over this little kitty. and then that part of me that always-looks-in-the-ditches-and-never-
drives-into-a-cardboard-box-on-the-road-in-case-there-is-an-abandoned-
newborn-baby-to-be-found-and-then-i-am-determined-to-be-the-best-
caregiver-for-it kicks in and if no one else wants to take her home, we will!
jerry writes a note: “lost your kitten? call •••-••••”
well, they called, micah’s eyes got shiny, naomi began positive self-talk that it’s actually good because that means that it is loved. but then the caller admitted that she found the cat a few miles away and didn’t really want it and after all, she wouldn’t want to disappoint our kids. so oh lord, we have two cats and a dog running round the home.
but micah wakes to do nothing but find that baby kitty and cuddle her. he sits and is warmed by her warmth. his gentleness is worth nearly anything.
yikes. i guess i’m more of a mama than a non-cat-person.
prairie daze 
oh i am with you.
that maternal thing is there.
that is why we have a cat.
and probably sooner than i want….a dog.
but it’s just upsetting to think of it not taken care..that i could have done something…
and so hard to see your kids get so sad about it and worry about it.
i hear you.
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it is amazing how little critters can grow on you. a friend my child is a friend of mind, even if it’s furry.
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The wideness of your love never ceases to amaze me. The question is, does the kitty squint at you or open it’s eyes wide?
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Oh my dear child. Accept the “always-looks-in-the-ditches-and-never-
drives-into-a-cardboard-box-on-the-road-in-case-there-is-an-abandoned-
newborn-baby-to-be-found-and-then-i-am-determined-to-be-the-best-
caregiver-for-it” as a sweet gift from God – and from your family! I have brought home many baby birds and squirrels and bunnies and puppies -and always am still on the look-out for an abandoned child. So know you are blessed with a tender heart that has also been passed down to your children. It is worth it.
And my sweet, strong Micah!! Could you send a photo of Micah with the kitty? (It says the photo has been deleted.)
Loving you,
Mom/Oma
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I am not surprised by your caregiving at all. What joy to see your children caring for the kitten also. You’ll get used to it and love it as much as they do. I do have to admit though that I never thought you’d have that many animals, wow!
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Ahhh, yes. The abandoned kitten found in the parking lot….been there, done that. I found ours in a trash can at a gas station ON A ROAD TRIP, yes that’s right, about 1 hour into an 8 hour drive. What choice did I have but to put the little flea bag in the back of the car WITH the dog who was already along for the journey. Wouldn’t you know they slept together the whole way and have been inseperable since!
And now your animal count is the same as ours, 2 cats/ 1 dog….aren’t you thankful at this point you don’t also have that goat???
Welcome new kitty!!!
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your family has the c.u.t.e.s.t cats!
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I put my parents through a similar kind of kitty experience. It was Kate’s cat who had the kittens, I was spending a few weeks in Bluffton in the summer and this black kitten warmed my heart to no end. I’m the animal lover in my family (well, everyone is, but I was the one who was going to be a vet until I saw my cat get her stitches out and I decided to drop the vet thing) and my parents heard my tears through the phone of how badly I wanted this kitty. I even had Bobbie on my side, helping me make lists of reasons to tell my parents why I need this kitty.
Well. I was it’s “mother” for a good 4 years and then I left of college, leaving the cat (who is your classic CAT… take-a-message-and-get-back-to-you-later kind… a real snob!). She has not acknowledged my presence since. Instead, she has really taken to my mom, who thankfully, has become as attached as I originally was.
It all worked out. :)
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the “friend of my child is a friend of mine” is soooo strong. I will always be grateful for what I learned as I watched my son – entering all the emotional awkwardness of boys finding themselves in puberty – open his heart to his chosen pet rodents. What better way to overlay my memories of an infant whose whole system would shut down in strong sensory experiences now becoming a young man who would tolerate smell and noise in his own space, who would even brace himself to wade through the ripping grief of hospice care and mindfully present farewells. As I watched them silently chill out after a hard day of middle school, I often prayed that those who would enter his heart in the future would be as appreciative of his caresses and as interested in his expressions. To see the beautiful soul of your child reflected in the eyes of another – this is a gift for any mother.
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you have a dozen hamsters?!
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