Thursday, February 14, 2008

Stories from the Animal House

Animal House as in the house where animals live and funny things happen, not the wild frat party house.

As most people who read this blog know, I leave a window cracked for the cats to come and go while we are at home. This plan has worked famously for two years, even though they bring me dead things (and sometimes live ones) as presents. However, I've had to start closing the window even when we are home. Recently, I've been suspicious that a cat other than mine has visited us. There has been more than one occasion that I smelled a strange cat in my laundry room, where the cats' food and litter boxes stay. I've wondered if another cat has come into the house, but thought surely a weird cat wouldn't just wander into someone's house. (I don't know why I thought this, given the stray puppy episode that happened before we even moved in there.) Anyway, I heard some bumping around in there the other night and for some reason I thought I should check it out. I guess it didn't sound like either one of my cats jumping to the floor (I can tell which one it is by the way they hit the floor). Just as I opened the door to the laundry room, a HUGE fluffy black cat was exiting the window. I was right! We did have a strange house guest. Apparently, he has been coming inside to mark the litter boxes and, luckily, he did not figure out how to use the pet door before I figured out that he was visiting. A scrubbing of the laundry room ensued to get rid of the smell and the window was immediately closed. All is well now and the cats are adjusting to coming to the door and yelling to be let in/out.

That brings me to my next story. Since the window is closed, Jewel came to the front door making the death cry (the one she uses when she has a prize for us). I told her she could come in, but the mouse had to stay on the porch. She obliged. Once she was inside, I noticed that the mouse was still alive and seemingly only slightly injured. I decided to move it off the porch to give it a fighting chance. When I picked it up, the tiny little beast BIT ME! It did not want to let go either, so I sat it down in the mulch in the flower bed and waited for it to calm down and let go of my thumb. When I checked later, it was gone. That was my first mouse bite - which is amazing considering I've rescued a few.

I know I'm a strange woman. Most women would be screaming in a chair if there was a live mouse around, but I just can't stand to watch them kill them. It's okay if they just show up dead, but I don't need to see the process. Lizards are okay, but I rescue them too if they are fortunate enough to escape the claws. They also bite, but I've not had that pleasure yet. Don't you think I would be a good boy mom?

In baby news today, I am 19 weeks 1 day now and my Pregnancy Calendar says the baby is 8 inches long. My ultrasound is this afternoon, so we should get some idea of how big it really is. The calendar also says that my feet are going to start growing now and will probably grow at least a 1/2 size and stay that way. I have to admit, this is one pregnancy thing I hope to avoid. My feet are big enough already. I'll never be able to find cute shoes if they get bigger.

I can feel the baby moving fairly regularly now at certain times of the day. Dave tried to feel it last night and couldn't. It was kicking pretty hard, but I guess not hard enough yet. Jewel settled in for a nap on my belly. The baby kicked at her several times, but she never moved so I don't think she could feel it either. One of these days that is going to be a funny scene.

No comments:

Post a Comment