Our Addition - part I

Not a new garage or a bigger laundry room; not a tiny little bundle of pink (or blue) but yet another cat. No we are not collecting them. Several weeks ago, Twiz disappeared and Pudge was only coming around about once a week. We have no idea what happened but of course, Britnee started paying attention to Clinton County Humane Society's website. Well, I should say paying MORE attention. She showed us cat after cat; kitten after kitten. I told her if we got another one (which I DID want before fall and mice season arrived) it had to be spayed or neutered. Tony's criteria was that it had to be a full-grown cat - a kitten wouldn't survive all the strays that roam "the neighborhood" (read: our yard!) So, much to her dismay we kept putting her off.

Finally one night, she showed me the ugliest cat that she had shared to date and then sent the picture or link to Tony's email. The next morning, I was downstairs, the kids were in school and Tony was up in his office. He hollered down, "Did you see the cat that Britnee is looking at?" "Yes," was my hasty reply, "isn't it ugly?" "UGLY?! It looks exactly like one of the best cats I ever had when I was a kid."

Do I even need to tell you that they went and picked it up either that night or the next? Before they got to the Humane Society, Tony made sure that Britnee understood if the cat was small they weren't bringing it home. They walked in and asked to see Benson. When the lady brought him out, Britnee's eyes got huge and she looked at Tony as if to say, "I don't think size will be a problem."

He is huge. (To give you an idea, Tony thinks Benson could have our friend's Pomeranian, Bitsy, for lunch. Okay, bit of exaggeration there but you get the idea...) If there's anything I hate worse than a gray tiger cat (bor-ring!) it's an over-sized cat! But I didn't get any say in this one.

Stay tuned for the rest of this story.

You Can Call It Flower...

...if you want to. But I know better. Tony mentioned last evening that this would be the perfect morning to sleep in...a bit chilly, maybe rainy and no obligations (usually the first two criteria fall on Sunday mornings!)

Well, somewhere around 5 or 6 this morning I got a whiff of something and it was no flower! I tossed and turned, covered my nose with the blanket breathed through my mouth (have you ever tasted skunk scent? Ick!) and pretty much tried to ignore the fact that some certain black and white critter had apparently been in a scrap with our cat. Finally at 8:30 a.m. I gave in and got up. The fight must have taken place on our deck because our entire house is permeated with the wonderful smell. I am feeling quite nauseous and wishing like crazy that I had a tub of Ultra Odors Gone on hand. Where IS that stuff when I need it most?

And in case you are wondering, yes, this is actually a photo of a skunk on our deck. It was taken back in April. I was bundling up kitchen trash and reached for the door to toss it in the garbage can outside. For some reason, I hesitated before opening the door and reached instead for the porch light. I glanced out the door window and about freaked out when instead of finding nothing, I caught a glimpse of this lovely creature. Of course, my mind went back to the many, many times I had opened that door in the dark of the night without a second thought. You can rest assured I don't do THAT anymore! And let me take a minute right here to thank God for watching out for us in the simplest of ways! Say what you want, but I'm convinced He was the one who checked me that night.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I just remembered that we do have a spray bottle of Odor Source Eradicator left from the "cat trapped in the van all night" incident.

The Cat-Owner's Twelve Days of Christmas

We have a budding lyricist on our hands. Britnee does not want me to post this but since when do I obey my children? While watching the post on the Christmas song I hate, she and Janae were singing their own versions. After hearing the first couple verses of this one, I told her she needed to "write it down". I know all to well the feeling of not being able to remember words (funny or serious) to a song that I made up on the fly.

I know some of it might be graphic and gruesome, but even those of you who aren't cat lovers would have to agree that this song might just pose 12 reasons why cats are actually good to have around :) I can personally testify to 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 12. Enjoy!

On the twelfth day of Christmas my kitty brought to me:

12 bird feathers,
11 slimy slugs,
10 chubby chipmunks,
9 sick squirrels,
8 silent cicadas,
7 baby opossums,
6 chirping crickets,
5 frogs that croaked!
4 fat rats,
3 baby moles,
2 dead birds,
And a mutilated mouse on the porch!