Archive for March, 2010
FROM CAT TO KITTENS
After the passing of our beloved 16-year-old cat, my husband and I almost immediately became the proud parents of two affectionate and rambunctious 4-month-old kittens. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. No free parking. In fact, let’s donate $200 to the shelter and, as we take our new kids to the car, let’s admire our lovely parting gift — a parking ticket plastered to the windshield in the rain. No worries. Nothing could dampen the spirits of our baby parade. We had just won the kitten lottery.
WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED
Satisfying my biological need to mother and nest, my new family and I have already accomplished a great deal together: dog introductions, two wellness visits, two dewormings, survival of four respiratory infections (my husband and myself included), 28 days of Bartonella treatment (x2), growth spurts of up to a pound a week, trying on several sporty scratching posts, adjusting to wearing collars (the cats, not us), scheduling two neuters (again, the cats) and offering a sundry of toys. Wait. We’ve had these guys just four weeks?
WHAT I HAD YET TO LEARN
“Welcome to fresh, new parenthood!” I said to myself as the little lives of my purring boys rested literally in my hands. Having cat companions since I was 6 (I’m now 39), I thought I had this gig down. As it turns out, I knew nothing-zilch-nada-zero about kittens. You can bet, after a month of full immersion, I do now. Here’s what I’ve learned:
THE PROBLEM
Living in a log home, the natural look of wood is not only aesthetically pleasing, it provides a vast array of uses for the wonderful world of wildlife. While we feed birds, squirrels and chipmunks without discrimination, we don’t necessarily want?critters freeloading within our lodging. For this reason, we’ve?been forced to enter into a Cat’s Eye pest control program.
THE SOLUTION
As clients with great respect for the general animal kingdom, we pose an interesting challenge for Cat’s Eye. Typically, exterminators hunt to kill. We’ve asked, instead, that ours hunt to preserve. So far, we’ve found the following ways to achieve that end:
When mice infiltrated the basement, Tin Cats were baited but never poisoned. Rattling traps prompted Tim to blindfold captives, drive them to an undisclosed location and release them under witness protection until holes were sealed.- To dissuade wasps and bees from encroaching upon my imaginary allergin relief zone, our annual phoebe hatchlings are kept safe from preventative dusting.
- When “redirecting” a legion of carpenter bees deeply entrenched under the gutters, Cat’s Eye engaged in combat while the majority of bees were on a pollen mission. This was to ensure minimum collateral damage. Tunnels were dusted with organic, peppermint-scented powder, the entrance was barricaded, and surveillance continued throughout the season. Eventually, the bees moved on.
Bottom line: we take no prisoners.
Working from home certainly has its perks.
- Perpetual pajama wear? Perk.
- No commute? Perk.
- Ability to set my own hours? Perk.
- Being my own boss? Perk.
Yes, yes, it’s all well and good in theory.
In reality, our animals are my boss.
- To punch in, the Newf sticks his face in his water bowl and lays his soggy, drooling lips on my keyboard. I, apparently, am the keeper of his time cards.
- During mud season (which may include spring, summer, fall and/or winter), the dogs dictate constant floor mopping during “work” breaks.
- Emmett, for attention, slams his head onto my [now broken] external hard drive. (I’ve considered docking his kibble.)
- And, as the Michief Police, I’m often called upon to root out the source of crashes, bangs, booms or an abundance of silence.
Our two young cats laid next to me on the couch yesterday, Jackson gently licking Jed’s head, each twin rumbling with contented purring in the comfort of each other’s arms. They seemed to revel in their deep sense of kinship, in the constancy of molecular connection since their dawn of time in the womb.
Being in the presence of snoozing kittens offers a peaceful calm like no other. My heart-rate lowers. My breath steadies. My thoughts come clearly… until that moment when, with mad ninja skills, Jackson wraps his white mitts (to avoid leaving incriminating paw prints) around Jed’s neck and exacts a choke hold. He sinks his razor sharp teeth into Jed’s moistened skull, a spot he had carefully prepared just moments prior. As 40 knives emerge from 8 fuzzy paws, back feet thump and kick. Jed tries to wriggle away but manages a mere body twist. His opponent braces his head firmly in place for one more tasty chomp.
BEST LAID PLANS
With the prospect of?introducing a new cat into our household, we tried to prepare our family and home as best as any new parents could. We read about introducing cats to new environments, to dogs, to us, new food, a new schedule and to each other (in the event that we brought home two). We were prepared to acclimate the furry little beastie(s) to one room at a time. We fully expected that said beastie(s) might sit under the couch for a week. We thought, perhaps, having the little beastie(s) sleep on a towel and introducing that towel to the dogs could be a beneficial pre-introduction tool. Every aspect of this adjustment had a plan. We would be fully in control.
Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day so we, a family of Clunes (only one of which is truly Irish), are dusting of our party hats, donning some generally green attire, combing the lawn for some shamrocks, and all in an effort to wish you a terrific Saint Patty’s Day. “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!”
Before we head off to celebrate, Shamus, the honorary Irish Newf, leaves you with a bit of Irish wisdom to ponder during your drink fest and corned beef dinner:
- If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you’re lucky enough.
- Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You don’t want to press your luck.
- When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to Heaven. So, let’s all get drunk and go to heaven.
- Don’t give cherries to pigs or advice to fools.
Have some of your own Irish wisdom to share? Leave a comment! But, most importantly, have a Happy Saint Pat’s!
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I received an invitation from Jai Johnson last week to have a portrait done of our dog. Jai is an artist, jewelry designer, photographer, writer, and animal lover from Jackson, TN and she is currently working on a painting series called Dogs with Toys.
The minute I saw Jai’s work, I sent her one of my favorite photographs of Shamus. She took the time to get to know him by reading This One Wild Life and watching Shamus’ videos. One week later, Jai had captured his essence entirely and named her piece “Gentle Soul.” It couldn’t be a more perfect way to commemorate?our first anniversary since Shamus’ adoption.
I took the kittens for a wellness exam just over a week ago. While the two of them frolicked around the room, hopping in and out of their carriers and chasing each other over the chair and exam table, they drew the attention of several staff members. Everyone who visited was enamoured with their frisky behavior and their affectionate snuggles. And then a trend began to occur. The more visitors we saw, the more I heard, “Those are the longest four-month-old kittens I have ever seen!”
Last night, our friend Doug came to visit. When Jackson greeted him at the door, Doug’s first words were, “That’s a cat.” Taking another look he added, “That’s not a kitten. It’s a cat.” Doug later watched as the kittens ran about, tackling each other and clutzing about with spines like Slinkies. “Okay, maybe they act like kittens, but really, they look like cats.”
It comes as a complete surprise that our not-so-little kittens are all the rage. I truly expected folks to bore easily. Not the case! Since the first 30 photos (see “Kitten Obsession“) aren’t nearly enough, here they are, back by popular demand (and with special thanks to @BethanneElion for her multiple requests)… Jackson and Jed!
PS: I feel so validated. Thank you.
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Yesterday, I was mopping the day’s mud from the living room floor when Tim came home from work.? We looked down at the hardwood and laughed at layer upon layer of footprints. With the break in the weather, mopping can be a thrice daily task. The dogs just keep on tracking globs, smears and grass hunks through the dog door.
I sighed, “Sometimes I think it’s useless to mop before the boys settle in for the night.”
Tim added, “Sometimes I think it’s useless to mop until August.”
