I have never been a cat lover. Cory is. He doesn't want a dog. I don't want a cat. I don't like the hair all over. I swore I would never own a cat, most especially in the house. When the mice in our house were more than I could take, a cat sounded much better than a mouse. My sister's cat had kittens and had taught them how to be good mousers. A good mouser was in order, as long as she could stay outside and take care of the mice. The first kitten we got the boys named Mia. She was so cute. she even caught a mouse or two. Found the evidence on the back porch one morning. Must have been too much mouse for such a small kitten because she threw it up. I only knew it was a mouse because there was a nice long undigested tail and a bunch of innards left over. The boys loved this cat a little too much at times, and, well, she up and dissappeared one day. Don't know if she just didn't like her hair being cut, or her legs getting shut in the door, or what, but she never came back. I felt bad. We still needed a cat, so we went back for Mia's sister, who the boys affectionately named, Fly. I thought about making them find a new name. That thought passed. The name has grown on me, and so has the cat (don't tell Cory, though).
The boys andCory love her. They have always taken care of her - making sure she has food and water - and I have never once had to tell them to do so. She's been a good cat, very patient and gentle. She's done a good job keeping the mice down. Haven't had a mouse problem since then. She has also made friends with a few other cats in the neighborhood - if you know what I mean. The boys got a bit of an education when the toms started hanging around. Cory and I laughed so hard one day as we were driving away from the house. There were a couple of cats competing for Fly. They were trying pretty hard. The boys saw one of them doing his thing and exclaimed, "oh, they love each other!" It was a bit confusing as to why Fly was having babies when she wasn't married.
Just this past Sunday, we came home from church to this -
I never thought I would say this, but, I guess I have found a soft spot in my heart for this cat. I grew up with cats and dogs. I used to love it when they had babies. As kids whenever our dog had puppies, usually in large litters, each of us sibblings got to pick one to play with and love until it was time to sell them. But it never meant as much to me as it has now. It's almost like I have had my own baby. I couldn't sleep all night after they were born because I was worried about those babies keeping warm and safe. Seeing this momma cat taking care of her kittens is really kind of neat. She has hardly left them - except for food and water and potty for herself. Maybe it's because I have kids of my own and know what it is to love them so much that nothing else matters. Those are her babies and she has shown great love and care for them. Maybe it's because it has reminded me of the love I have felt from my Father in Heaven. We are all His children and He has great love for us. He will never leave us. He is always there by our side to take care of us. Nothing quite like nature to remind us of this beautiful concept. New life in any form is such a miracle.
Now, what do we do with these kittens? Free kittens, anyone?
By the way, this does not mean she gets to come in the house.
