the grass is always greener…

well, this is it, the first day of school.  summer sure did fly past, not nearly long enough!  most of my friends look forward to their kids going back to school, and out of their hair, but not me.  I love having tony and madison home from school.  we don’t do much, usually, but it’s nice to have the house full of children sounds.  and I know that  all too soon, those sounds will disappear from here, to be replaced with the silence of teenage absence, then adults gone from the nest.

so, here we go again!

one advantage I’ve found, to having kittens, is that they like to empty the shower trap of the ball of hair, so I don’t have to.

the disadvantage?  coming around the corner into the bathroom, and having the life scared out of me, thinking said ball of hair is a spider…

this boy here, pure mischief!

sometimes, I just wish you could look into my life…other times, not so much, because then I’d feel bad about my house being a mess, or about still being in my gown when you came over.   when chowder came to live with us a couple of months ago, he was tiny and lonely.  Jesska had rescued him from the  parking lot of the motel behind ruby tuesday, and didn’t know what to do with him.  she knew that we already had enough cats, what with the (1-5) starshine, ringo starr, waffle, chain chomp and cuppycake  in the house; (6) buttons on the porch, and (7) pretty kitty, who lives somewhere on the farm and eats buttons’ food.

but she couldn’t leave him mewing in the parking lot.  the night she brought him home, she called me from the driveway, ‘mama, come outside!’  there, wrapped up in her ruby’s apron, was this little teeny tiny ball of orange fur.  I couldn’t believe he was even weaned from his mama, he was so tiny.  she said she looked all around the motel parking lot, and never saw his mama or any other kittens.

I texted rich and told him about our dilemma, and he said (only because jess is his baby) that we’d just keep him, since he obviously needed a home, and we’re apparently expert cat caregivers. he was so loving and ready to be part of our family, he just fit right in.  however, the big cats were very unhappy.  they spit and hissed at him.  he cowered.  for a few days, then he started laying down on his side any time one of them would come near him.  I assumed that was to show them his submission, and I wondered if he was looking for a mama.  he definitely wanted to play with them, but they were having none of it.

then, along comes mojo.  he’s been here for a week now.  the little foster kitty.  he’s stolen our hearts, including chowder’s.  they romp and wrestle and snuggle like they’ve known each other forever.  the first day worried me a bit.  chowder, in his eagerness to have a playmate, ambushed mojo at every opportunity.  mojo wanted to get to know the layout, and wasn’t happy about being pounced on constantly.  after he asserted his independence a few times, chowder backed off.  now they are thicker than thieves.  rarely do we see one without the other.

they are bffs, but they are very different.  chowder is loving when he’s ready to rest, then his motor runs at top speed; mojo will let y0u hold him, even when he’d rather be running after chowder.  mojo is lean, with the body of an alley cat; chowder looks more like a cat that’s been cared for and well fed.  chowder mews, mojo squaws.  but they both carry my heart in their little paws.

mojo will most likely make the transition from foster kitty to adopted kitty right here at casa de hockett.  I can’t imagine letting someone else have this sweet little boy.  and chowder would be lost without his best playmate.  it’s so funny to watch one walk around looking for the other…it’s like they complete each other.

chowder and mojo, new bffs

my darling daughter tells me that I need to post something new on here.  she’s tired of seeing the same post every time she signs onto my computer.  I just haven’t felt like posting lately.  no reason, other than boredom, I reckon.  I’ve been spending lots of time (too much) over on facebook and farmtown, I’ve been reading right much, and riding the roads every day.  and, I’ve been a foster mama to a bunch of shelter cats for a little over a week.

last monday, I brought home a litter of 6 kittens, who’d been surrendered by their owner.  the shelter lady called me and asked me if I would please, please, PLEASE come and take atleast some of them home.  surrendered animals don’t get the 72 hour grace period that pick-ups do, it seems.  when tony and I got there, it was immediately apparent that we could not pick which ones would live to see adoption and just let the rest be put to sleep.  so, we brought all 6 home.

then monday of this week, the shelter lady asked me to bring the 2 long haired babies back.  they were headed to a no-kill shelter that only accepts long hairs.  while I was there, she asked me if I would consider taking just one more.  he was due to be put to sleep on tuesday (today), and she just hated to see that happen; he’s so loving and sweet, she told me.  of course, I had to take him home, how could  I leave him there?

I cannot begin to describe this kitten.  he’s probably 12 weeks old, or so, and scrappy looking.  but he’s the most docile cat I’ve ever met.  he’ll sit in your lap and just purr, acting content to sit there forever.  the kids have named him ‘mojo’ and he’s the perfect size for chowder (the stray ginger kitten that jessica brought home from the crack motel behind the ruby tuesday where she works).  they’re getting to know each other slowly (read: roughhousing and biting and hissing) .  but they are adorable together.

in some ways it’ll be hard to say goodbye to all these sweet babies when they’re adopted, but maybe it won’t be so bad.  actually, maybe this is the way to do it, kinda like a library for cats…