C.: d.c., do you remember that I told you that all my kittens were coming to stay with me for the summer?
d.: Yes, Cal.E. I believe you said that you had fourteen. If you can only count to two, how do you know that you have fourteen kittens?
C.: Well, I dropped out of obedience school, but Tom did not. He finished. That is why he has a cushy job keeping rodents out of his dad's office, while I must hustle and travel for a living. Tom can count to one-hundred. He is an educated cat. He is the one that told me how many kittens we have.
d.: Okay, so, how many are girls and how many are boys?
C.: Seven of each, according to Tom. All the girls look like me, with dilute calico markings. all the boys take after Tom. He is an orange tabby. I was attracted to him because he looked so much like Garfield when I first met him.
d.: That would make sense. Almost all calico cats are female. Conversely, almost all orange tabbies are male.
C.: Thanks for the biology lesson, d.c.. Listen, my kittens will be here in one week. I have not been a parent for several years. I may need some help. You and Eudora did raise three boys, and a lot of foster children. Would you please help me with the kittens when they get here? I would be willing to pay you if you do!
d.: That won't be necessary, Cal.E. I enjoyed raising all m y children, including the foster kids, as well as my step-daughter from my first marriage...
C.: I did not know about her, d.c. What was she like?
d.: She was a sweetheart, Cal.E. She was one of the sweetest kids I ever met. I fell deeply in love with the notion of being a day-to-day parent to her when I was married to her mom. We did not stay married long, but I still miss her sometimes. I unknowingly ran across her when I was in nursing school, getting training for my second career. She is everything I hoped she would be. She is a nurse, still very sweet, and absolutely gorgeous!
C.: Wow! Maybe you can help me, then. I honestly do not know what I am doing when it comes to being a parent. That is part of the reason I left Tom with all our kittens!
d.: Fourteen is a lot for anyone to handle, Cal.E. Some of good parenting, I'm convinced, is just good luck. A lot of it, though, is knowing how to react to your kittens. Don't ever act shocked, no matter what they do. That is the reaction they are trying to get from you when they misbehave. They just want to know that you are paying attention. Kids (and kittens) will get in some kind of trouble. That is a given. You must know the best way to handle the situation. Each situation is different for each kid or kitten. Their personalities will determine how you handle each situation. Above all, respect them, and they will respect you.
C.: How will I ever know what each kitten's personality is, if I have not been around them for quite some time?
d.: Spend some time with them when they first get here. Don't put them to work immediately. Just take them out for a nice fish dinner. You should be able to afford that. That will give you a chance to talk to them and get to know them again. Then, demonstrate the behavior you would like for them to display. It may take a while to take effect, but, with your work ethic, they should come around eventually.
C.: I hope you are right! Just in case I need help, will you join me when we go out to dinner? I want to show them what kind of high-class friends I have!
d.: Sure, Cal.E. Just tell me when and where.
Comments