After two quiet years with two cats who ignored each other, my family felt settled. The cats and the kids and I had settled into the kind of peaceful relationship that you don’t really have to think about. Then, Brianna decided to run cross-country for her high school. This entailed summer work-outs at a local running and cycling park. It all seems innocent, but once again, a devilish twist of fate brought another kitten into our home.
This kitten is Junie, named for the delightful series of children’s books featuring Junie B. Jones. We adopted Junie in June, and my son had been reading Junie B. Jones books at school, so there really wasn’t any need for further discussion. Anyway, this particular June evening, Brianna had gone to the work-out with her two friends, twins Megan and Michelle, and their older brother. She came home an hour later, not having run a step, but having rescued not one, not two, but three kittens left abandoned in a box at the park. Some evil kitten abandoner had known that a gaggle of ninth grade girls were no match for three darling baby kittens.
The problem was, these kittens were only about three weeks old. They were not even weaned. I took the girls back up to the park to look for the mother. We scoured the park but found not anxious mother cat. We had no choice but to head off to the pet store to buy kitten formula and bottles. By now, all three kittens were making sounds that I didn’t know cute furry animals could make. Their screeches for food were almost unbearable. When they finally got the bottles in their mouths they quieted down. I think that is when my daughter learned, very prematurely, what it feels like to love an infant. The kittens fed while the three girls gazed on enraptured. Luckily for me, the twins took a kitten each, leaving us with Junie.
My daughter stayed up all night feeding the kitten every two hours, helping her find the litter pan, and playing with her. Junie thrived, and as a result, came to two very important conclusions: 1) she was not a cat and 2) she would get whatever she wanted from Brianna. Junie sits on a stool at our breakfast bar when my daughter eats cereal every morning. Junie sits on the toilet seat when my daughter gets ready for school, and Junie meets her at the door every day after school. I don’t know what Junie will do when Bri goes to college next year. Maybe, I can pack her off in the suitcase!
So, three years later, we have three cats, and no more have wandered our way, except one, that, or a brief time hung out on our deck. And to think, I always said I wasn’t a cat person!
