Saturday was a beautiful sunny day in my community and it found my family outside in the front yard chatting with other neighbors. I somehow talked the neighbor boys into cleaning out the back of my van because it would be "fun" and while I supervised their work, Max the Cat came into view.
He was sauntering up the sidewalk toward the house. He held his head high with his tail lifted and curled dramatically behind him. "Awe, isn't that cute", I thought. And then the neighbor said it. "Look, who's bringing you a present." I looked around for the UPS truck and then realized the neighbor meant Max.
In Max's mouth was something black. A bird - "Yuck!", I thought and then I quickly realized Max had veered toward the open garage with a dead bird. I ran to the garage and quickly closed the door thwarting Max and sending him to the bushes with his kill. Max moved out of sight while the children surrounding me talked about the what was in Max's mouth. Suddenly a ruckus erupted from the bushes. A loud chirp sounded followed by the bushes shaking and then a small black and brown bird burst through the foliage and up into the sky. It wobbled a little getting its bearings and then zoomed off far from Max's greedy claws.
Immediately the meowing started. The most disgruntled cat I have ever seen emerged haughtily from the bushes meowing the entire time. Max sat in the middle of the driveway grumping about the bird for nearly 5 minutes straight. Then he harrumphed off to repair his bruised ego and to hold on to whatever cat dignity was left for poor Max to cling to.
Kudos to the bird for doing a masterful job at faking its own death. And to Max - You win some and you lose some.
Monday, November 19, 2012
The Cat Introduction
Last January we bought Aaron a cat for his birthday. This shows the great love I have for my middle child because I do not love cats. Yes, those of you from my childhood past might remember the obsessive cat loving I did before middle school. What can I say... I was a child but as an adult I put away childish things and that included cat love.
So when we brought this new cat, now affectionately named Max, Maximillian, Maxipus, or just Cat, home I had rules. No cat in the house, litter box cleaned each week and I was to have nothing to do with Max cuz I didn't like him. (period!)
Max has been with us for almost a year now and I can honestly say I have never met a cat like Max. He purrs with gusto immediately upon being picked up. In eight months, he has never scratched one of my children. In fact, as soon as a any child grabs him up he goes limp as if it is his duty to allow the squeezing and rumpled fur that is sure to come.
Max also wheedled his way into the house with his constant purring. First the official reason was so Aaron could hold him during homework and then we realized we were buying cat food for every stray cat in a mile radius. During the school year, Max got used to us leaving the house everyday. It became routine to give him a goodbye pat on the way to school each morning as he sat on the porch purring his goodbye right back at us. Summer brought a new routine and suddenly each morning Max began meowing at the front door until it opened. He then saunters in, checks on the family, perhaps eats a little (since we moved the food indoors) then goes to the garage door, meows again and is let into the garage to do what ever a cat needs to do in a garage.
In fact, that last paragraph I was writing just got interrupted by meowing at the front door and yes I obediently got up and let the cat into the house.
Now the cat routinely plays with the dogs and catches birds and mice leaving them in the front yard for us to find. We call for Maxipus every time we go outside and I actually miss seeing Cat if he isn't around for awhile.
Today, I find myself using endearments to talk to Max and cuddling him just to hear his loud purr. If he isn't around in the morning I worry about him.
Shockingly and with much torture to actually write this sentence...I have discovered.... I love Max.
So when we brought this new cat, now affectionately named Max, Maximillian, Maxipus, or just Cat, home I had rules. No cat in the house, litter box cleaned each week and I was to have nothing to do with Max cuz I didn't like him. (period!)
Max has been with us for almost a year now and I can honestly say I have never met a cat like Max. He purrs with gusto immediately upon being picked up. In eight months, he has never scratched one of my children. In fact, as soon as a any child grabs him up he goes limp as if it is his duty to allow the squeezing and rumpled fur that is sure to come.
Max also wheedled his way into the house with his constant purring. First the official reason was so Aaron could hold him during homework and then we realized we were buying cat food for every stray cat in a mile radius. During the school year, Max got used to us leaving the house everyday. It became routine to give him a goodbye pat on the way to school each morning as he sat on the porch purring his goodbye right back at us. Summer brought a new routine and suddenly each morning Max began meowing at the front door until it opened. He then saunters in, checks on the family, perhaps eats a little (since we moved the food indoors) then goes to the garage door, meows again and is let into the garage to do what ever a cat needs to do in a garage.
In fact, that last paragraph I was writing just got interrupted by meowing at the front door and yes I obediently got up and let the cat into the house.
Now the cat routinely plays with the dogs and catches birds and mice leaving them in the front yard for us to find. We call for Maxipus every time we go outside and I actually miss seeing Cat if he isn't around for awhile.
Today, I find myself using endearments to talk to Max and cuddling him just to hear his loud purr. If he isn't around in the morning I worry about him.
Shockingly and with much torture to actually write this sentence...I have discovered.... I love Max.
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