Lessons Learned from My Cats

It’s been three days since I brought little Molly home. I had expected my older cat, Baby, to have trouble adjusting to a new kitten. I expected my younger cat, Huey, to love having a new playmate.

 

 

Baby is 5 years old. He is more serious and plays less than his brother. Baby is calm, quiet, loving and devoted.

Huey is 3 years old and loves to play. He has boundary issues and often insists on playing with Baby, whether Baby wants to or not.  He is outgoing, talkative, playful and funny.

Baby took right to Molly. He played chase with her and followed her around.

Huey growled and hissed and made wild animal noises I have never heard come out of him before. At first, I thought he was Alpha catting her. Making sure she knew who was boss. I made sure she was not in physical danger from him but left them to work it out themselves. It became clear pretty soon that Huey was scared of her.  

Once I realized what was going on, I changed my behavior. I made sure that I paid extra attention to Huey. Petting him, praising him, playing one on one with him. I wanted to help build his confidence and make sure he felt secure.

Just a few long days later, he is playing with her. He still hisses and growls at her when she startles him, which is often.

 

Molly is only six months old and still has a lot to learn about being a cat. She now has two wonderful, very different, boys to help her grow up to be a confident and secure cat.  

Things don’t always go the way we think or want them to. We must be willing to adjust to whatever life throws at us.  Others may not behave in ways we expect. We may not always be able to anticipate their reactions and motivations. We need to be sensitive to others and be willing to adapt if we want peace and harmony in our lives.

Molly

I have been volunteering with a cat rescue, going to adoption days at Petco Viera and running the Facebook: page http://www.facebook.com/CathysCatsCritters. A few weeks ago, there was an adoption that was not working out. Since the adopted family lived near my parents, I volunteered to help get her back to her Foster Mom. This 6 month old kitten had gotten out of her adopted family’s home. They did not know where she was. I looked around the neighborhood but had no luck. She is all black and could have been in the bushes right under my nose and I would not be able to see her. A storm was heading in and I felt terrible leaving her out there.

She came back and the next day I went to pick her up. She was sick. Coughing, sneezing and her eye was runny. She looked so small, so sick, so scared. I sat with her in my parent’s living room. In spite of her ordeal and her sickness, she was still alert and curious. Her name is Molly.

As I sat in my parent’s living room holding sick little Molly cat, I could not help but think of another Molly I knew. Molly Ann Lindsay, One of my best friends in High School. We had so many fun times hanging out in my parent’s living room. I was sitting under the fan she once broke when she jumped up and grabbing the chain in her teeth. Yes, really. Molly was hilarious.

Molly also adopted a stray cat, Aime, that I took in while I was in college. My Mom has allergies and would not let me keep her. Both Molly and Aime are gone. Molly lost a very long fought battle with cancer in 1990.  I still miss her.

I started thinking that I would foster Molly; maybe see how she did with my cats. I was worried that my 4 year old Baby would be very unhappy with a new cat. He isn’t always happy with Huey, who I brought home two years ago. I gave Molly to her Foster Mom and told her I might want to foster her. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I could not foster her. Whatever it took to make her part of my family, I would do.

Molly’s Foster Mom nursed her back to health and two weeks later, Molly is now home. She is in a room by herself for now, away from Huey and Baby. I want to make sure she really is over her cold and give my boys a chance to get used to the idea of her.

I love her. She is fun and playful and loving. She is safe, healthy and happy. She never has to worry about being without a family again. Holding her fills my heart with such happiness.

The last several years have been very difficult. Having this little girl come into my life reminds me that no matter how it feels, the best is always yet to come. Your next source of happiness and love is just around the corner. Waiting for you to open your eyes and your heart and let it in.