But do I really want one?
Not so much when I walk down the pet food aisle at the supermarket or when I smell the stink of the cat food as I open the can. Not so much when I imagine cleaning the litter box. Only when I watch them play do I imagine that it might be a good thing to have a kitty around the house. However is the gift of nuzzling a soft cat worth enduring all that? The jury is still out...
I called a "cat lady" today to find out our options. I have been considering TNR (trap, neuter, return) but I don't know if I have the wherewithal to carry that out without major assistance (not to mention the fee of fifty dollars per cat). I would have to trap the kittens and the mama separately and endure the horror of this separation. I can't bear the thought of upsetting those cats, even if it is "for the greater good" of the cat population. I cannot bear to remove the nursing kitties from their mama either, no matter that the cat lady freely sanctions early weaning. Yes they do eat solid food but as Izzy noticed just the other day, "Mama, the kittens are having cat boobie on the wall." Yes, even though they are almost 10 weeks old, they are still nursing. The mama cat is surely a La Leche League poster child, nursing those toddler kittens.
Then there is the option of trapping, neutering and finding homes for the kittens which would remove cats from our neighborhood population but not do anything towards truly helping the feral cat problem (or so they say). The mama cat would be returned, alone, with nobody to keep her company, destined to a life of loneliness. Then again, the kittens might go on to lead joyous, happy lives.
Lastly, leave the family be and continue feeding them, encouraging more cats to wander into our yard, eventually creating a cat colony which would seriously disturb our neighbors. Tonight already, a new mama cat came inside of our house. A. sat blissfully unaware as this bold creature just walked in through the kitchen door and meandered down the hallway.
What to do? It is plain to see that A. and Izzy can't get enough of kitty observation but does that mean we should adopt one?
5 comments:
use caution when inviting the cats in... our billie ran out for a quick romp last summer and we promptly got the worse case of fleas ever. it took use about 7 weeks to rid ourselves.
J: Thanks for the tip. They entered uninvited..I won't be inviting unless they are in a carrier (does that keep the fleas away?)?
Those kittens make me want to forget about the rest of my life and become a lonely old cat woman.
..In the best way possible, that is.
But, we both know Glenn-y would never go for that.
So I say...keep one. So I can envy you, of course.
Jess: Hey..why can't you adopt one or two as outdoor cats?? It's not like you don't have the room.
You are too young to be a lonely old cat woman!!
having first-hand knowledge of the tenacity of JC fleas, i wouldn't chance it. if you do decide to keep one, i would treat it before inviting it in...
yes, and i have even entertained the idea of hitting you up for one, but can't at the moment! oh well. they are mighty cute though...
ditto on the cat lady thing...
joanie
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