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Gift from Hil Part 2 - 2014-12-30
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10:53 a.m. - 2010-05-26
For the last couple years there's been a feral cat hanging out by the dumpsters at Mick's school. The cat doesn't really hang out IN the dumpsters, she makes her home in a small copse across the driveway from them. Some of the cafeteria staff have been putting out food for her. Between that, the scraps from the garbage and her own hunting, she's been making a pretty good living. The cat won't come near anyone ever though, she's too wary. Mick's been fascinated by this cat. She's huge, for one thing, with long dark hair. So long it sweeps the ground beneath her belly and makes her look very strange when she's moving along, like she has no feet. Her fur is a mix of subtle smoky greys, black and tan, the perfect camouflage for her lifestyle. Mick says soon as she crosses into the shadows of the copse she virtually disappears. If he hadn't been watching her, he'd never spot her, that's how well she blends in. He's wanted to catch her and bring her home, but she wasn't about to be caught, not even by Mick who's done his best to befriend her. So yesterday he's out by the loading dock where the dumpsters and the cat live and he hears a kitten crying. It's crying and crying and crying. Mick goes into the copse and sure enough right next to the path there's a kitten. Just lying there, not hidden as though Mom stashed it while she was off hunting. Mick picked it up and the kitten quieted right down. He listened for the squeaks and cries of the rest of the litter, but none came. The baby was all alone, and seemingly on its own. He just could NOT put the kitten back on the ground. Mick might look like he's made of stone but inside he's pure mush. Now Mick claimed he brought the kitten home to me because I'd love it and know how to care for it. Tried to act all offhand and casual, like he only did it because his woman, The Eternal Earth Mother, would do right by the wee thing. HE was no big fan of kittens. Nossir. Uh huh. Mick didn't fool me for a minute. I mean, yeah, he knew I'd be delighted with it and certainly did know how to feed and tend such a baby, but let's not kid ourselves here. My big bad he-man is stone in love with his kitten. The wee one is still blue-eyed and bat eared, but its belly button stump is gone and he/she looks to be 5 or 6 weeks old. Eats like a champ, yells at the top of its voice, and already made a potty in its litter box. Mick named it 'Rascal'. Mandy and Lucky are a little hostile toward the baby and Princess is a bit too eager to play with it, so we're keeping the baby apart from all the other pets until everyone settles down. Small carefully supervised visits for a while are just the prudent way to go. At least until Rascal can fight back, sort of, and the others get used to the idea of a kitten in their midst. I can just imagine the furor if one of the big cats took a swipe at Rascal or if Princess decided the kitty was a chew toy. Pics of the new baby soon. ~LA
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