Punk Cat

We have the best cat in the world named Bear.  He came into our lives as a kitten last summer and really helped Joey get through some difficult times.  Well Bear is no longer a kitten.  He is a full-fledged punk teenager who has made an enemy of another punk cat in the neighborhood who coincidentally could be his identical twin.

In late winter, I noticed an abscess on Bear's paw.  We brought him to the vet and sure enough, he had been in a fight.  They cleaned the abscess, cut off Bear's male parts and he healed. I thought since Bear was now an "it" instead of a fully endowed male, he might fight less.  I was wrong.

About a month later, Bear came in with a HUGE abscess on his right haunch.  Back to the vet we went and this time he had to have major surgery to clean it out, a 4 inch scar and about 20 stitches.  After about 3 weeks, he was mostly healed up.  We had been very careful about keeping him in, but one night, he escaped.  I didn't even know he was out and at about 12:30 a.m. I heard a low guttural cat moan.  Sure enough, Bear and his arch nemesis were at it again.    When I finally did catch up with him, his almost heal scar had been entirely torn open and was deep.  I cried and cried and was seriously about ready to but a "for sale" sign on him.  If he hadn't been such a help to Joey when he was going through tough times last summer, the cat would have gone to a different house.

So now you've had the background info on Bear, let's move this story ahead to last night.  Bear was inside sleeping on my bed at 11 p.m. when I fell asleep.  At about 4:30 a.m., I hear that low guttural cat fight moan.  In my half asleep state of existence, I jumped out of bed ready to go outside to break up yet another cat fight only to realize that when I went to sleep, Bear was inside.  I have a sliding glass door from my bedroom out to a deck.  Bear was on the inside of the sliding glass door moaning at the other cat who was on the outside of the door moaning and hissing back.  I jumped up and hit the glass on the inside of the door hoping to scare the enemy cat.  The enemy cat wasn't scared in the least, backed up about three feet and proceeded to jump up onto a bench outside my bedroom door and curl up with his paws underneath his belly as if if to say, "I think I'll stay righ here."

I didn't want to run outside like a madwoman in my PJ's at 4:30 a.m. to scare him, but I had to do something since Bear was still on the inside of the door moaning and hissing, so I sent out my 16 year old blind and deaf Sheltie named Buddy to finish off the cat.  Buddy took one step out the door and then looked back at me like, "Now what do you want me to do?"  At that point I realized since he's blind and deaf that he didn't even see or hear the other cat, so I stomped my feet trying to scare the cat into moving.  The enemy cat let out one hiss and clawed at Buddy who promptly ran back inside and hid under my legs.  Yeah, that worked well.

I was beyond frustrated at that point.  I went out into the kitchen to find something to scare this cat away with.  In the meantime, Bear was getting worked up into a frenzy in my bedroom trying to show off his bravado.  The only thing I could find was Joey's Supersoaker, so I filled it with water and from the kitchen door, I blasted the cat.  Bear let out one final scream and then walked away from my door.

The arch nemesis cat still was hanging around my deck this morning.  If this keeps up, I may have to find a more powerful weapon.  Anyone have any ideas??

Money, money, money, money

One of the lessons of first grade math that most teachers, students and parents dread is the lesson on the almighty dollar or in particular, how to count the many confusing coins that we have in our american monetary system.  If you view the lesson like a 7 year old, it really doesn't make any sense that the dime is the smallest coin.  You'd think that the penny would be the smallest, followed by the nickel, the dime, the quarter, the half dollar and then the dollar coin.  However, that is simply not the case.  If you could sort by color, that would make sense also, but only the  penny is a different metal.  So, what's a mom to do when trying to teach the concept of money???

I was in the teacher's room at my school the other day and a fellow parent of another first grader was talking about the woes he was facing with this unit.  He and I commiserated for a while and then he mentioned to me that he was telling his son that any coins that were found were his if he could count them accurately.  Knowing my son's love of money, I figured that would be a great motivating factor as well, so I instituted the same policy at my house, however, I added a twist.  If he didn't count the money right the first time, it went into a "kitty" and once a day we would count the "kitty".  If he could count it accurately, he could keep it, if not, he had to wait until the end of the next day at which time there might be more money in it making the task even more difficult.  Joey soon learned to count the money accurately the first time.

So, Joey has spent the last several days counting money everywhere we find it.  When we go to the store, Joey can get the change (coins only).  If he counts them correctly, into his piggy bank they go, if not they go into the "kitty".  At Sam's club the other day, he just about tackled an elderly lady to get the dime under her foot.  Thank goodness she had a sense of humor.    He has been helping me with laundry and has cleaned out our couch about 10 times.  Counting money has turned into a game.  I think in his piggy bank, he probably has accumulated $3 or $4 so far.

Yesterday, we received a note home from school stating that the money unit was a relatively short unit time-wise, however, since most children were still struggling with many of the concepts, the teacher was going to extend the unit another week.  She asked if we would please review the concept with our children.  Attached to the note was our child's unit test over money so we could see how they did.  Well......, my little capitalist got a 100 on his test.  I was very proud of him as he has been working so hard.

I guess money does really make the world go round.   Next weekend, I will be teaching him how to give back.  I firmly believe to whom much is given, much is required.  We will be counting what is in his piggy bank and he will have to save 10% and donate 10%.  He was really good at making money, we shall see how good he is at giving it away.

The Things you do for Love

After my cat Dulcie who was with me for 15 years passed away this past spring, I said that I would never get another cat again.  I love cats and have had them for my whole life, but pets can be a lot of work and responsibility.  Considering the stress I've had in my life, the last thing I felt I needed was another responsibility, however, when we saw a certain little black kitten, Joey fell in love.  This little kitten captured his heart and I think Joey captured this kitten's heart as well.  Joey named this kitten Bear because he looks like a little black bear.  Bear and Joey instantly bonded.  As a matter of fact, in the car on the way home, the kitten snuggled up on Joey's lap and purred.  Tonight, when the kitten was exhausted on the couch, he cuddled up to Joey and fell sound asleep.  He has followed Joey around all day and wanted to sleep in his bed tonight, but I thought that might be too much of a distraction, so the kitten will be downstairs with me.

So as I sit here tonight on the couch with my boys asleep upstairs, I wonder again what I've done.  I will only need to wake up in the morning and see the smiles on my boys faces and the laughter and the joy to know that the extra responsibility is worth it.  Their smiles will be worth the 15 year commitment that I made today.

Joey introducing you to Bear.