A Tail Of New Kitties

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....

Last summer our beloved dog Domino died without warning or explanation. We just came home from a cookout one night and found his poor lifeless frame rigid on our deck. It was horrible beyond words; dh and I have both lost pets before, but never like this, never experiencing the helplessness of having no comfort to offer your grieving children. Eldest child wailed - WAILED! - as though he would never be whole again. Youngest and only female was as pale as snow. Middle son with sensitive heart was AWAY AT CAMP and had to be told upon return, only reopening the fresh wound for the whole family. He never got to say goodbye.

After it was all over, and we had made a - well, not a peace but a truce - with the loss, we all decided to wait a while before opening our hearts again. Our loss was just too painful.

Then, a few weeks ago, dh and I went for a walk through the neighborhood and were followed home by a beautiful little black cat. She was so sweet! and affectionate! and the kids just went totally nuts over her. Alas, we discovered a day and a half and a flea collar and a big bag of kitty food later, she belonged to another family. Disappointment. But... the seed had been planted.

DH: "Did you see how much the kids loved that kitty?"
Me (aka Hard-Hearted Hannah): "Um, well, maybe..." (Duh, of course I did, but I'm still resisting the inevitable and suddenly very interested in removing a stubborn food particle from our kitchen counter.)
DH: "She sure was cute."
Me (impassively): "Mmm-hmmm." (What WAS this food before? Rice? Waffle batter? It REALLY is fascinating.)
DH: "Have you ever heard of a breed called a Bengal?" (Better search under the sink for the extra-strength cleanser... hmm, not here? Maybe I'd better run to WalMart. In Alabama.)
Me: "Nope."

But secretly, I was sorta interested in the links he sent me the next day. Bengals are bred from Asian Leopards. They look a lot like tigers, with stripes and spots called "rosettes." They are very social, very affectionate, and they like water! In other words, they're as much like a dog as a cat can ever be. Here's a link for more info, in case you're interested: http://www.exoticbengals.com/

So - a couple of weeks later, we load the kids up and drive to Murfreesboro, TN to meet a breeder from Kentucky who has two kittens she's willing to sell. The first is NOT interested in meeting or being held by small children... but the second... well, he's so CUTE. And CALM. And JUST FINE with being held by small hands. And then, when Hard-Hearted Hannah takes her turn... he commences to purring and crawls up to her shoulder and KISSES her on the cheek! Sigh... the heart of stone has been transformed. Of course. This is The One.

So, we have a new pet. He will never replace Domino. But he is already making his own place in our world.


Marco