Everything is a toy

I really do love animals.

For most of my life, I have been a dog person, but my husband and I have cats.

Why?

Because he loves cats.

He has a soft place in his heart for any cat he thinks may need his help. Of course, cats own people, and not the other way around.

We have Dennis and Scooter, and both of them are about eight years old. They are tuxedo cats, and I am convinced that tuxedos have a specific kind of personality. Of all the kinds of cats, I like tuxedos the best.

Dennis’ full name is Dennis the Menace. (I shouldn’t have to explain this any further.) Scooter does a little moon walk when he goes to his water bowl to drink. It’s cute, and it also confirms his name. These two get along pretty well together. They seem to know each other’s quirks and are able to tolerate each other well.

On Dec. 18, 2021, at about 5 a.m., everything changed in our little family of four. I was sitting in the kitchen drinking my morning coffee, and I heard a cat meowing. At first, I thought it was coming from inside the house, but Dennis and Scooter were both asleep on the bed. The sound was coming from the front door. I opened the door, but it was dark and the cat ran away. A couple of hours later, I heard the same cat sound. David looked through the window next to the front door, and said it was a kitten meowing at the front door.

This tiny little thing was a … TUXEDO kitten! It was muddy and scared, and we let it inside. We didn’t know the gender, so we named it “Little Bit.” When we later found it was a female, the name morphed into “Libby,” and that is what she is called now.

Immediately, Libby began to rule. She interacted with both Dennis and Scooter, as if she was welcome into their circle of friends and family. Dennis loves playing with her, and he has mentored this kitten as if it was his duty to show her the ropes, teaching her his bad habits. Scooter is not so enamored with her. To him, she is a pest, big time!

Not surprisingly, Libby loves to play.

Everything in our house potentially becomes a toy. Got a cork from a wine bottle? Throw it on the floor. It gets kicked around like a dodgeball. Wire from an electrical project? She plays shuffleboard with it. A jacket hanging in the closet with a drawstring hanging down becomes a tetherball. I found a scarf on the floor that had been on a blouse. I’m not sure how she found that one. It was pressed in the closet between other clothes. Anything hanging from something has an invitation marked on it that says, “Play with me. I am your toy.”

Animals are fun. Kittens are amusing. However, if you have breakables, having a kitten is a good way to discard those breakables. Lamps, figurines, wall hangings, and other treasured items may be at risk. As my mother used to say, when mischievous children were present, “Put everything on the ceiling.”

I’m not sure this would work in our house. Our cats know how to jump.

My love to all,

— Nancy

• • •

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind.”

— James 3:7