||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES |||
Molly and Rose, age: almost 11 months, came to Orcas for a visit. Rose had been here once before for six days when she was younger. Normally, they both live in Bellingham with Molly’s person, Jay. I am Rose’s person, and though we planned for the sister cats to live separately with lots of visits back and forth, somehow it just never seemed to be the right time to separate them. Even though they have distinct personalities, they are tightly bonded.
Thing is, they have changed so much, are now so large that the trip is harder. They travel together in a large dog kennel in the back seat. When Jay was getting ready for the trip to Orcas, he left the kennel open and both cats went inside and sat down, apparently ready to ride. When Jay went outside to load the car with everything but the cats, they got alarmed and tried to follow him, seeming to worry that he would leave them behind. Something about the kennel, I guess, as they don’t seem to mind when he leaves them alone in the house several times a day. They are, however, anxious, to go outside, which Jay doesn’t allow as he is worried about the street. They do have a glassed in porch, where they can watch the birds and eat the pots of vegetables on the windowsills. (Or, it’s really mostly Rose, who eats the plants. Molly is a much fussier eater and the vegetables don’t interest her much, though she is willing to play with the plant leaves.)
I mentioned that the cats are huge. I can’t carry them at the same time, and it’s not just the squirming. It’s the cat bulk. I really hadn’t counted on their size and all my previous cats have been on the small size. I didn’t think to ask about their mother’s size and at seven weeks, they looked normal to me. At this point Rose weighs nine and a half pounds.Molly is eleven pounds even though she was the smaller kitten. If there is a cat god, these girls have finished growing. Though I highly disapprove of fat shaming, I might not be able to contain my complaints. If they keep growing,
In any case their visit ended today and they are home in Bellingham now, and I’m missing them already. Rose obviously knows me and is openly affectionate. Molly is definitely more bonded with Jay. Rose escaped several times and hid under the cars and under the decks. She may know me, but she absolutely does not come when I call her.
I do realize that cat talk is boring to many people, but I don’t have grandchildren to bore you with.
PS: I am never bored by stories of other people’s grandchildren. Just envious. A very long time ago when I lived in New York City, my poor-paying job perks included six free credits of classes at Columbia University each semester. One class I chose was with anthropologist Margaret Mead. I remember that she once said that children and grandchildren get along so well because they have a common enemy. (She never said a single thing about cats that I recall.)
