Summer Sky: Learning as I go

These two.

I really miss my old kitty sometimes. It will be two years in January since she passed away. She lived a very long life--nearly 20 years (give or take--she was a stray).  Some day I will talk about that kitty, but not today. More than once this past year, I've tried to type up a post about her, but there is too much emotion there, even still. So I will let that go for now.

I am so glad we have these two kittens in our lives. They have brought us so much joy. Our kids play with them for nearly an hour a day.

In our house, I'm the one who cleans their litter box. I suppose I could enlist E to help me now and then--she is 6 and would probably do a fine job. But for now, the job's all mine.

When our old kitty was alive, my husband took on the task, when I was pregnant with E. He continued to soldier on alone for four more years, until kitty died. His only condition for taking on our new kitties: that I would be the one who cleaned the litter box. (I laughed and said I'd do it for four and a half years, at which point we could renegotiate. Fortunately, he laughed, too.)

I have to share a funny thing. When I would clean her litter box (lo these many years ago!) my old kitty would head for the hills. Who wouldn't? It's a pretty unpleasant job. But the kittens come running. They rub and rub on my legs and purr so loudly. It really is like a big thank-you. Which I have to say, means that I clean their litter box pretty often. How's that for a bewitched owner?

For Molly

and especially, for her girls.

The kittens don't really look like kittens any more. They'll be five months old at the end of next week.

Everyone who meets Sally and Whiskers marvels at how patient and gentle they are, particularly with children.

They love to be snuggled and if you're out on the porch, they'll go to sleep in your lap if you scratch them behind the ears. 

I wish I could say I took lots of pictures when they were smaller (like the one below), but sadly I did not.

You see, I had the (very) silly idea that they would stay little. Not forever, of course. But just a bit longer than they did.

They are the very best of buddies. If they are separated, they cry for each other. Taking them to the vet is not a problem: just pick them both up at the same time and put them in the carrier, because if one of them is going, the other wants to come too.

And we still can't tell them apart unless we look for teensy patch of sparse white hairs on Whiskers' belly.

So in these photos--Sally? Whiskers? A question for the ages.

Kitten cam: caught in the act.

 

For a while there, before N left diapers behind, the toilet paper sat up high, out of his reach. He doesn't (usually) play with toilet paper any more, now that he's 4. So someone had to take over.

The funny thing is, I have no idea if this is Sally or Whiskers (our two little kittens).  We can tell them apart because Whiskers has a tiny patch of about 20 white hairs (yes, you can count them, there are so few) on her belly. Sometimes I think their faces are different, or their personalities, but I've surrendered to the fun confusion of it all.

Two little kittens.

I have so much more to share about the trip to visit my parents--we had some amazing experiences. But before I get to those, I should report that we have some little additions to our home.

They are sisters from the same litter, and they could not be more cute. Given their age (8 weeks), they are extremely sweet with children, which I can only chalk up to the fact that they were loved from birth by a 2-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 7-year-old, before joining our family.

Back in April, I had taken note that Molly of MommyCoddle had some little additions around her house. Her kitty, Black Walnut, had given birth to 5 kittens. I knew Molly lived in a neighboring state, and I guessed, correctly, that it would be less than a two hour drive.

One day I was reading this post of Molly's, which I found incredibly touching and sad. On impulse I sent a comment including a question about the kittens. Almost immediately I had regrets. Molly's family has had a string of tough losses, and here I was selfishly wondering if she had given away all the kittens. So I figured, she'd never respond.

To my pleasant surprise, Molly commented here that she had two sister kittens left and wouldn't we like to have them. We e-mailed a bit and soon a plan was set for my tykes to visit hers and receive the kittens.

 

I should back up and say I wasn't entirely sure I'd ever own another pet. For over 19 years, I (and eventually, D, my husband) owned a sweet little kitty who was incredibly healthy and strong despite her size. That is, until little over a year ago, when she had a stroke. 

Ironically, within a few days of kitty falling ill, I broke my ankle while taking her to the vet. The kids were whisked away to grandma's until I could have surgery. So kitty and I were laid up together and I was able to give her round-the-clock attention.  Sadly, although our kitty regained the use of her front legs, after two weeks, she seemed weaker by the day. One late night she passed away.

Dear D, my husband, had had an amazingly long-lived kitty, too (20 years!). So, we both know quite a bit about cats. And what it can be like at the end. It took a bit of courage--or, as these things usually go, blind faith--to take on two more.

When we came to get the kittens, Molly kindly invited us to stay through lunch, and I gratefully accepted. The kittens were as coal-black and adorably indistinguishable as promised. After lots of oohing and aahing and cuddling, we set off for the creek, leaving the kitties to sleep in the rose bushes with their mama one last time.

 

 

The kids had a grand time splashing about, with N joining in enthusiastically and getting soaked to the skin. Molly and I had some fun getting-to-know-you conversations. 

 

 

After a while, E could not bear to be separated from the kittens for another minute, so we trooped back up to the house for lunch.

We sat and chatted right up until nap time while I admired Molly's kitchen table and other vintage treasures gracing her home. It was so satisfying knowing a little more than we might otherwise about where our new kitties came from and to meet the sweet girls who gave them so much love.

 

Now when N and E are each holding a surprisingly patient little darling, I am deeply grateful and full of wonder at the turns life takes.