Little Jag

I wish I'd gotten a picture.

Of the cat.

The little cat.

The little, tiny, baby cat that found his way into our garage tonight.

The little, tiny, baby cat that Hunter immediately named "Little Jag." (To her credit, he looks JUST like Jag did when he was a kitten.) In fact, he looks exactly like this:

The minute I saw him prancing around the garage, I got that 'oh crap' feeling...because I KNEW she'd adore just seeing him in all his tininess, yet I also knew she'd want to keep him. (And I also knew Brian would leave me forever if I so much as uttered any sort of phrase beginning with, "But he's so cute honey.")

So I let her play with him for a few minutes....and it took only that long before she started, in her most sympathetic voice, "He's so cute mommy. He lives at his friend's house. Does he, mommy? I think he doesn't have a home.' And then it hit me- SHE IS ME.

She and Colton played with the kitty for a few minutes...calling out "Come here Little Jag!", "Come here kitty!"

And then Brian came out....and that's about where the story ends. She may think her Daddy walks on water most days, but at this moment, she definitely did not. He came out grumbling something about "a pest" and how he wasn't staying here and proceeded to shut the garage, leaving 'Little Jag'...well, alone.

It was evident in mere seconds how crushed she was. Her little face wrinkled up and tears started flowing. She was painfully aware that he was out there 'without his mommy' she kept saying. She was so worried about this little kitty. (Which by the way, Brian tells us does live in the neighborhood. I think he may be lying but if he is, I prefer not to know.

Oh, Little Ami. This is not going to be the last animal you want to 'save'. There will be oodles. I love that you have a good heart at 3 and a half years old.

All he wanted to do was lie down...

Poor Jag. He just wanted to lie down. It's a tough house to live in these days if you happen to be a cat. Three children who are very good at saying "cat" and "meow" and are VERY interested in our cats. (We have two, one black, one white.) And if any one of the bunchkins so much as catches a fleeting glimpse of a cat running by, they are quick on its tail, no matter where that cat is headed...under a bed, yeah, they'll follow. Into the bathroom, right behind 'em, it doesn't matter where.

The other night Brian and I were watching TV and the kids were in the playroom playing. Before long, I could hear soft whispering just on the other side of the couch I was lying on. I glanced over the back and saw Hunter lying on her belly right up next to Jag (our black cat) and she was petting him and talking to him, oh so lovingly. And I'll tell you what, at that moment, he was LOVING LIFE. He loves attention, but calm, gentle kids aren't the norm. They're usually being chased endlessly.

But then, the boys came along. And Jag didn't want to stay there anymore. He definitely wanted to find a new comfy spot to lounge, but the three troglodites weren't making that very easy. They chased him into the living room, then the kitchen, then the hallway, then the playroom. Finally, despite his obesity, he leapt over the baby gate and sought refuge on "the safe side.'

Kids and Pets-such fun. :)

My other three babies :)

Those 4 legged babies of ours are normally so fast footed that capturing them on film is nearly impossible. (Ok, that statement really only applies to the 2 cats. Piper is the most photo-cooperative dog you could imagine.)

However, lately they are more and more "present" even when they hear the tell-tale "chime" signaling that the camera has been turned on...perhaps they know that their lives are about to change dramatically and are savoring the last few moments of animal solitude in the Bunch House....just about everywhere I go, right behind me, my brood of beloved pets follows. Brian affectionately refers to my followers as my "wild kingdom." "There goes mommy and her wild kingdom!" he'll chirp, especially in the morning when we all wake up for the first time!

They're good pets and I'll do my darndest to make sure they continue to receive lots of love even after their babies arrive! So in honor of them, I thought I'd post some pictures of my 2 kitties, Jag and Gracie and my good ol' lab, Piper in their spoiled domain! :)

This is Jaguar (Jag), our overweight, and overlovable black kitty

This is princess Gracie, who can be found just about anytime of day, lounging on my bathroom counter awaiting anyone with thumbs who will turn on the faucet to a drip so she can drink from the sink! Spoiled? Yeah. I'd say so!

And then there's Piper...the true definition of loyalty. She does not leave my side all day long and has become very protective of mommy and her babies.

The cat hangout... If Gracie is not on the bathroom counter, then she's belly up somewhere else in the house! She's a cat who knows how to relax! Jag is steadfast howeverin his relaxation spot. If he's not beside me on the couch or bed, then he's perched on one of the stairway landings!
And Piper, thinking that she really is a human, has made it no secret that she feels she belongs on the opposite end of whatever couch I currently occupy. Poor Brian got pushed to the small couch so that Piper and I could share the big one.