Bliss!

As the weather gets colder with each passing day, I am more and more worried about our Kitty being outside. Unbeknownst to Gary (at the time) Kitty slept upstairs in my office last night. I could not bear the thought of her freezing little paws, so I coaxed her into the office, turned off the light and closed the door behind me.

She meowed loudly, begging me to let her out. At that moment, though, I realized she's a lot like a little baby. She doesn't necessarily know what's best for her. She doesn't understand that being cooped up in the office was for her own good. I stood there for a couple of minutes until her plea subsided. She stuck her little paw under the door to try to feel for something, bless her little heart.

I had a nightmare last night that someone was trying to abduct me - and I was aware, even in the dream, that that may be how she felt. Anyway...

This morning when I went up to check on her, I slipped into the room and sat with her on the floor for a minute, so she wouldn't just run straight out the door. She seemed fine, and nothing was amuck in the office. In my best cat voice I tried to explain to her that everything was OK, and she was much better off up there than outside and to try to relax. I don't know how much of an effect I had on her really.

She didn't exactly "dart" downstairs, but she didn't dilly-dally either. She went straight for the door and I let her out. Within minutes, she was back at the door, doing her little pawing thing, and so I think at that point she "got it".

I later set out for Pet Smart with the intention of buying a cat condo - a place where she could sleep and feel secure and warm. They had TONS of things to choose from -- everything from condos to beds to kennels to igloos to outdoor heating pads. It was really hard to choose, given that she's the first cat I've ever had.
Gary has pretty much relented and is allowing her to be inside to have her kittens - so the bed or whatever I ended up buying needed to be portable, too.



Unfortunately the condos were a bit pricey. I love the little furball to pieces, but I ain't payin' no $50 - $150 bucks for a couple of 2x4's wrapped in shag carpet just so miss kitty can be all stylin' and profilin'.



I ended up getting a cushy little bed with a hood on it for protection and privacy, and with a concealed zippered pocket of catnip. She was having no part in getting into her new bed though. I'm sure she's pretty much over me holding her (forcing her) down in various cardboard boxes lined with fluffy bath towels and sheets. But I keep telling her, "This is for YOU! You'll LOVE it!" (Sidenote: I wonder why all the tags on the cat beds at the store today featured pictures of little girls with the cats? Hmmmm....) I pretty much gave up in frustration after about 15 minutes of this and left her and her new bed outside for the afternoon.

Wouldn't you know - I went out around 3:00 and guess who was laying in her new bed, blissed out on catnip?!