The Writers' Corner ~ Lost Kittens

We had this old gray cat, don’t know from where she came. But she did just show up and decided she wanted to stay. The wife noticed it hanging around, and after supper, when I put out the leftover scraps for the critters, I would see Gray cat. Soon in the mornings, I would hear Gray cat when I fed the birds. Now first and foremost, neither the boss nor I like cats. When the boss saw on the picnic bench in the yard Gray cat at first would hiss at her, then it began to mew and then to rub against her legs.

Long story short, the Gray cat sort of just became part of the family, always staying outside, always meeting us when we went outside. One day I was working in the shop and Gray cat entered, mewed, then proceeded to investigate the shop. Then it left.

Gradually we took a likening to Gray cat and one day the boss took a pan of warm water, and soap and washed it. Gray cat took her bath and then when the back door was opened she came inside. Quickly Gray cat learned not to get on the furniture, nor the bed, she stayed on the floor.

Before long she would come rub against us to get her brushing, or mew and sit and sadly look until she received a treat.

But one morning, oh one morning, the boss went to do laundry and there on a rug next to the washer was Gray cat and seven new kittens. The boss went through the ceiling; however soon she found a cardboard box, cut it down, put some soft rags in it for Gray cat. The next morning the kittens were gone. “Where are they, where did they go?” The boss checked every inch of the house, not wanting to have seven kittens living there.

After breakfast the wife watched and followed Gray cat, as she went out through the doggie door, outside, and to the woodpile. There in a corner of the wood pile on some grass were the seven kittens. “But if it rains, or skunk comes, or the fox comes or . . . . . . ,” the boss said. She did not want those kittens hurt or carried off.

The boss stewed over it for most of the morning, then she went to the basement, got the box and put it under a table on the back porch. She then took an old oil cloth and draped it over the table so there was only a small space open on the back side. She went out, picked up two kittens, and put them in the box. And she blocked the back doggie door open. We went about our work and just before supper, seven little kittens could be heard mewing in the box under the table.

Soon pandemonium reigned as seven small fur balls ran, romped and cavorted on the back porch, then into the back yard. The boss said firmly, “Not in the house, and when they are old enough, they go.” Friends heard about Gray cat and her kittens and soon, Janice Myburg called the wife. Janice and Pete had six children. “Could we talk you out of some kittens?” The boss smiled.

That afternoon Janice and her children came over and they played with Gray cat and her seven kittens. That night we slept better for Gray cat and her kittens had a new home, in the box which was now located in the big bedroom at Janice and Pete’s house. Needless to say Pete wasn’t too happy but the children were and you know what?” The boss asked for dibs on the Gray cat’s next litter. No way, no way Jose, no more cats in this house or if the boss gets a cat, I will get my Golden Lab.