Guess What's In My Bathroom?

THE CUTE KITTY FROM LAST WEEK!

 Oh my God...soooooooo  cute. If I was able to go into high-pitched squeaky baby-talk on this blog I would, because that's all that's been coming out of my mouth for the past 12 hours. Here's what happened:

I hadn't seen the kitty since my post last week. But late yesterday afternoon I glanced out my kitchen window and caught a glimpse of the kitten trying to climb into the underside of my neighbor's car--I'm guessing for warmth. I hauled ass outside with food, water, and a covered litterbox that I filled with blankets as a make-do shelter.  The kitten would come quite close to me, but not close enough to pet, so I left it alone to eat. Once it was done, I went back outside and tried to coax the kitty toward the shelter. The temperature had dropped, the wind was blowing, and it was only going to get worse.

Blair and I talked later that afternoon and I bemoaned the fact that the kitten was so close, but I couldn't get her to come to me but I thought maybe I had interested her in the shelter. "She'll be fine," he said. "That shelter will protect her more than you know."

"I guess," I said.

I went to yoga that night and told people about the cute kitty in my yard. Someone mentioned that the temperature was supposed to drop to 20 degrees last night. "I have to go rescue the kitty!" I cried, only half-jokingly. I know cats retain warmth but 20 degrees is damn cold. I hoped to catch the kitty and keep her in our guest bathroom--warm and safe--for the night.

I went home, went out back, and there was no sign of him/her. "Here kittykittykitty," I called and a bolt of white shot across my neighbors driveway and toward me. I sat outside on my back stoop for about 15 minutes, coaxing the kitty toward me. She/he would get within half an arm's length, but no closer. I pulled the food and shelter back there and thought, "That will just have to do." I went inside.

And was back outside 5 minutes later. "20 degrees" kept going through my head. "I can stand to be cold for 30 minutes at 7:30 at night and stay outside and catch this cat versus her freezing at 2 AM," I told myself. I opened the back screen door and lo and behold, kitty was halfway up the steps! 

For the next 20 minutes I sat in the open doorway, holding the screen door open. Kitty came to the other side of the screen door. I dragged a leaf under the door and she pounced on it. Then I put my fingers under the door and she pounced on those, sniffing and licking them as well. Finally...finally...he/she momentarily came around the door and I grabbed him/her.  I picked kitty up and it started purring and hasn't stopped since.

This cat is a lover.  I hold it like you would a baby, one arm cradled under the back and his/her belly face up. Then I pet this all white belly and kitty stretches and sighs and purrs and sometimes reaches out with both front paws to grab my hand. She/he rubs noses with me and sometimes licks my nose. 

Blair walked in the front door and sang out, "Hi!"

"Shhh!" I said and smiled. "You'll wake the kitty."  

"Oh my God," he said. "I told Michelle at work after you called that I was going to end up with another damn cat."
(That's an act. He's a big softie and this morning vacuumed out a climbing toy of Lucy's she never uses because he thought the kitty might be feeling insecure and might like to hide inside it.)

We talked...and I think we're going to keep the cat. I need to get him/her into the vet this morning to make sure it's healthy and doesn't have any disease that would put my girls in danger. But I told Blair I would have a hard time putting this cat back outside.

"I know," he said, and hugged me.

I'll try and get a picture later today. I can already tell my day is going to be filled with cats. Lucy and Olivia--but especially Lucy--are sniffing around the bathroom door and don't seem pleased with what they smell. No surprise there. We brought Olivia home 5 years ago and Lucy's still miffed. I am worried about what bringing another cat into the home will do to them, so I'm trying to spend lots of time with each cat. 

I'll try to get a photo of kitty later today to post for tomorrow's blog. Meanwhile, I'm in kitty-cat heaven.

If I Could Have But One Wish...

...I would wish to call this little kitty mine.  Instead, I think it's a neighborhood stray. I periodically find her hiding under our next door neighbor's car. Which is what happened the day I snapped this picture. I looked out my kitchen window and saw her huddled beneath the wheel, so I scurried to put on my coat and take her some food and water.

She backed even further under the car when she saw me, but dashed out when I tossed some kibbles her way. I kept tossing them a shorter and shorter distance until she was almost to me and then she seemed to realize what was happening and went back under the car. I think I could have coaxed her out to pet her, but I was more concerned with her being fed. So I left the food and came inside. The photo here is taken from  our kitchen window.

The picture doesn't do kitty justice. This is one CUTE cat. I'd guess 3 months old, HUGE round eyes and ears that almost lay back like a Scottish Folds. She's got gray-brown fur on pure white and is just freakin' adorable.

I want her. I really, really do. I even gave serious consideration to staging a major crying jag in front of Blair in the hopes of weakening his "we will never get a third cat" stance.  But I know I can't. My allergies already act up with the two beasts we have now. Still... my heart aches for her.

We got our first 15-minute snowfall today and I kept my eyes peeled for kitty, ready to race out with food and blankets if I saw her.  No sign yet, but I'm still looking.

Maybe we could have an outdoor cat....? 

Please DO Squeeze the Charmin!

No, this lovely white cat is not being strangled--it's receiving a neck rub. Welcome Charmin, my mom's new cat!

I inherited my love of cats from my mother and it is from her that I learned how to give a high-pitched squeal capable of being heard only (ironically enough) by dogs each and every time I see a cat. 

Mom has been thinking about getting a cat for awhile. Then this past Monday she had a dream about a white cat.  The next day she found Charmin, a shelter cat, who was at his FIRST day at the shelter.  It was a love meant to be.

Here's mom's high maintenance Maltese, Bailey, checking out the competition. Neither seems too disturbed by the other, which is a good sign. Fric and Frac is what I think. 

Apparently Charmin--who is about 5 years old--rolls on his back for bellyrubs at the drop of a hat. He must have come from a very loving home. We wonder if someone lost him or had to give him up. He didn't have a microchip but does now. (TIP: Microchip ALL your animals, including your indoor pets. Suppose there's a fire and your indoor cat escapes. How will you find her in a shelter if she's picked up?) 

So again, a warm kitty hello to Charmin. I foresee much squeezing in her future. 

Weight of a Dead Cat

You all know how much I love my cats,. But even my patience was tried last night as I tried to budge a 12 lb. cat just an inch or two to the left so I could have a smidge of sleeping room.

She wasn't having it. She dug her claws into our bedspread and went completely limp, adding I think a good 10 lbs to her body weight with her "I'm a dead cat" feint.

She was lying between Blair and myself, down around our knees. It was 2 AM and Blair had rolled over, pulling most of the covers with him. I gave a gentle tug and he released them, but I needed her highness to move in order to pull the covers over to my side.

I tapped her with my foot. "Hey, move it," I whispered.

She pretended as if she hadn't heard me.

I sat up and scratched her ears, trying to charm her into moving. That was a no go, so I tried to pick her up but as I said, she proceeded to act as if the lifeforce had drained out of her and went completely limp.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a grip on a deadweight cat?

So I turned mean (hey--it's 2 AM and I'm tired) and started shoving at her with my feet under the covers until she finally moved.  

I went to sleep with a satisfied smirk on my face...