I Love Cats
I've always loved cats , and I've had them as pets since I was little. Most of them died tragic deaths, unfortunately. My little heart broke for every one of them--Zig-Zag, Steinway, Fluffnut, and Wayne. Even our last kitty, Jitterbug, ran away from my mom's new house last year. I told myself I was done with cats, at least for a while.
But I've been out of work for seven months now, and I know for certain I would have perished of ennui long ago if my husband's mother hadn't rescued two kitties from the dump and given them to me. They were abandoned, bless their hearts, and I just couldn't say no.
When they first arrived at my house, they were terrified of me. They had lived in the wild, of course, so they weren't used to people, and they'd just had what I'm sure was a very traumatizing visit to the vet for shots. I put them in my hall bathroom with their food and litterbox, shut the door, and sat in there with them all day long so they could get used to me. They hid in the bathtub at first, and Turkey made advances first. For three hours, Cricket would only peep around the shower curtain at me.
They sure have warmed up, though. As I try to type this, Cricket is rubbing back and forth under my chin, trying to get me to throw her pink ball, which she carries possessively around in her mouth like a mouse (old habits die hard, I guess). I gave Cricket her name because she makes chirping noises instead of true meows, and when she does meow it sounds more like a lamb bleating than anything else. And I let my husband name Turkey. Her true name is Turkey Scratch, after the town in Arkansas where Levon Helms, the lead singer of The Band, was born and raised. My husband is a fan.
They stick their paws indignantly under the door when they are shut out of a room, and they are rapturous when finally admitted. Cricket sits on the rim of the tub whenever I have a bath, and Turkey likes to watch me cook. They both enjoy pouncing on our toes when we are in the bed (which is why they get shut out in the first place!).
They're excellent company. I may be turning into the cat lady, since they're the only creatures I talk to all day long, but I suppose that's better than being totally lonely :)
Here's a picture: Cricket is on the left with the white belly, and Turkey is on the right. They are sisters and like to snuggle when they sleep.
