The cat came back

I'm a little frazzled this week - traveling always makes me frazzled, especially traveling to our respective hometowns. What should I pack? How many books? Which books? How much knitting? Which knitting? Cookbooks? I need to make sure my DVD is back to the library before I leave, and I can't forget my camera or needles and yarn to teach my mom how to knit socks. Lots of little details, and I'm not exactly a detail kind of girl when it comes to my personal life. But I do want to share this story.

Our across-the-street-and-a-few-doors-down neighbor has a cat. She's an outdoor cat, I think, and she got knocked up last year, and now there are a few more cats. She was offering them up for free, but there weren't any takers. So now they are all outdoor cats, and one of them has taken up residence on our front porch.

I'm not a cat person, nor is Justin. I like a good snuggly kitten, but I'm not really down with animals who sit on countertops and don't like their feet touched. We would shoo the cat away when we saw it lounging on our faded doormat. It's kind of skittish and has always been wary of us.

Two weeks ago, the cat was on the porch again and I was tired of it pooping in the yard (Gracie loves cat poop), so I sent Gracie after it. BAM, she was off, and chased it across the street into our neighbor's bushes. The cat escaped quickly and easily, and Gracie wiggled her way out of the bush. We did not see the cat again.

Until yesterday. It was sleety and cold, and I reached out the front door to get the mail. There was the cat, leaping off the stoop and into the lava rocks next to the porch. She has a little red ribbon around her neck and a tiny red bell now - she's all set for Christmas parties. She came back on the stoop and let me pet her. I started off with my usual refrain (YOU DON'T LIVE HERE), but she was very wet and acting sweet. So I pet the cat for awhile. Then I remmbered Gracie was in the back yard, most likely staring at the house in that creepy way of hers, so I said goodbye.

I did not feed the cat. I did not bring her into the house. But I'm kind of growing attached to her.

Gracie, who's not quite sure what a cat actually is, fully endorses friends. Especially friends who like to snuggle.

Cubby and Chuck. I had nothing to do with their placement.

But then again, Gracie also fully endorses spying on said friends and their squirrel brethren.

Comments

[kate]

Proving that Mitchell may actually be a dog in cat form: He lets us touch his feet, comes when he's called, and chases the laser light without any regard to his safety.

Don't feed that cat. It'll never leave you then.