Published: May 05, 2008 11:33 pm            

Cathie Shaffer: A new pet in the mix: 5/6/08

We’ve settled into a quiet routine, my dog, Maggie, and me, since Hubby passed away. It’s a fairly exact schedule of trips out, meals, TV watching, playing toy and the occasional trip to take the grandgirls to school or pick them up.

Saturday, I did something that turned our placid life sideways. I adopted a kitten. Tabby — short for Tabitha — was one of three kittens available at the animal shelter when the grandgirls and I rolled in 10 minutes before closing. If there had been more kittens or more time, we might never have been able to choose.

The girls, of course, wanted to bring all three home. I wanted the least yowly of the three, and Tabby seemed pretty quiet.

The test, of course, was introducing her to Maggie. Since our house was ruled by a Siamese when Maggie joined the family, a few swats on the nose quickly taught the dog an important fact of life with a feline: Cats rule.

Or at least think they do.

Maggie was excited to meet Tabby and immediately wanted to play. Tabby took one look at the big furry thing 100 times bigger than her, arched her back and hissed.

Of course, the dog knew what that meant. She quickly backed off, the memory of kitten claws still sharp in her mind.

It’s funny how much more appealing my house became this weekend with a kitten in it. Two of the girls spent Saturday night, and all three of them hung around for hours playing with, holding and adoring Tabby.

The kitten quickly found her safe places, the base of my dining room table behind the pushed-in chairs and under the microwave stand in the kitchen. Both are places the dog can’t get to, cozy spots for a creature small enough to fit in my hand.

Tabby may be quiet, but she’s feisty. She waits for Maggie to come bounding toward her, then bounces away so fast that all you see is a gray blur.

It’s been years since I had a kitten in the house, so I’d forgotten many important things. One of the things I forgot was how messy they can be.

Maggie’s eating area is neat, even when her double dish is full of water on one side and food on the other.

Tabby’s so small we’re feeding her from saucers on an old dish towel. How one little kitten can scatter cat food halfway across the kitchen and make such a big puddle with a few tablespoons of water, I’ll never know.

A herding dog, Maggie feels the need to round Tabby up, whether the kitten needs it or not. Asking “Where’s Tabby?” starts Maggie on a journey of discovery. Her eyes light up, and there’s a spring in her step as she hunts for her one-cat herd.

Two days was all it took for me to realize how good it was going to be for Maggie to have a companion — and that the quiet life we’ve been enjoying will be nothing but a memory from now on.

CATHIE SHAFFER can be reached at cshaffer@dailyindependent.com or (606) 473-9851.

        

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