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.