12.30.2006

A Sucker, Pure and Simple

From a conversation back in August:

Flamebrain: Ma, I have a friend who needs a place for his cats to stay for a couple of weeks. Any way you could watch them? If he has to board them at a kennel it's gonna cost him a bundle.

Ma: You're sure he'll be able to get them in a couple of weeks, right? I have no interest in adopting two cats. We're trying to cut down on the number of pets we have around here.

Flamebrain: Yeah, he can get them in a couple of weeks. He'll be moving in with his girlfriend and they allow pets in her apartment complex. He'll provide all the food and litter.

Ma: Well, I guess it will be okay. Afterall, it's only a couple of weeks...


By the middle of December I had reached my limit. The male cat was spraying everywhere and the little female was getting neurotic from being kept upstairs. So, the cats were going back. Sorry if the owner had broken up with the girlfriend, sorry if it was gonna cost him money to board his cats, sorry if I expect grown men to be responsible pet owners. I couldn't stand having the cats living in near isolation upstairs, but there was no way I was letting that male come downstairs and spray everything (even though he was such a sweetie and absolutely beautiful and loved the way I scratched his neck for him...)

I called Flamebrain and told him to tell his friend that if he didn't get his cats they were going to the pound ASAP (HA! Like that would happen - but the friend has never met me and didn't know that.) The friend said he could take the male cat back, but he was going to have to take the female, whom he called Little Girl, to the pound.



Meet Sticky Wicket - the newest member of the family


Wiki, posing for her picture. Isn't she the sweetest thing?

All together now -- SUCKER!!!

9 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Congratualtions! But I wory about that other cat going back to that owner.

Anonymous said...

What a pretty girl.

Must feel great to see the sprayer go! Sigh. Things things are always so difficult, aren't they?

Unknown said...

I wouldn't call you a sucker, I'd call you compassionate. She's a beautiful addition to your collection of animal. Better to have the sweetie than the stinker. It will be interesting to see what Minnie Pearl thinks of her. Happy New Year to you and Treebeard
1

Anonymous said...

The sweetest thing? ------

That would be YOU.

swamp4me said...

AC,
I'm not too worried about Little Boy. I'm sure that his owner will take good care of him -- he did before. When the cats came to me they were in good shape, had lots of toys and two nice pet carriers. Besides, my son will be keeping an eye on him :)

Jenn,
She is a pretty girl. She's adjusting pretty well to life downstairs with another cat, a dog, and a fish (she loves the fish). I don't think she has discovered the snakes yet, though...

Cindi,
We'll compromise: I'm a compassionate sucker. Both the cats are sweet and if Little Boy hadn't been a sprayer I would probably have two new cats instead of one. As for Minnie - I'll keep you posted on her reaction.
Happy New Year to you, too. Hope things are going well for you.

Cathy,
Aw, shucks. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

What was it that PT Barnum used to say ...?

Heehee.

Kentucky Brat said...

naw Swamp... I don't think 'sucker' is the word. I'm not exactly sure, but it seems to me that God himself sends these creatures that are for whatever reason to be in our lives.

I've down sized a few times.. and now there are 2 new ones, about 4.5 inches tall that stand by the screen door at night, waiting for a handful of food. I have no idea where they came from, 1 came about 2 weeks before the other. What to do, what to do?? No other choice but to hand them some food. If I can get ahold of them (shouldn't be hard, they are still really little) I'll have them fixed and their shots for the year taken care of.

I can say this, if it is God that sends them this way.. I'm so glad he sent me the Vet, that does it all for nothing. Well... he does require me to keep feeding them! I can work with that.

Anonymous said...

You warmed my heart today. I probably would have done the same damned thing.

Anonymous said...

That is why I have six cats. But I don't consider myself a sucker, I consider myself lucky. I think you do too. :-)