You’ve probably heard that Ogden Nash line, “The trouble with a kitten is that eventually it becomes a cat.” Well, I would like to respectfully disagree with Mr. Nash, because it’s not the cat stage you have to worry about, it’s the getting there.
Let’s face it, kittens themselves are simply adorable. All tiny, wide-eyed, fluffy innocence. They pounce, they play, they purr…what’s not to love?
And full-grown cats are lovely as well. Quiet, well groomed, napping most of their lives…again, gotta love it.
The real issue is with the time in between…the time it takes to grow from innocence to sleepy maturity. This, my friends, is time of the Great Kitten Menace, when the entire house becomes a jungle gym for a feline terror that has way more energy than any living creature should ever possess.
Every curtain, blind, window screen, bookcase, table—and yes, even the fireplace—must be scaled…not once, not twice, but dozens and dozens of times. Usually in succession as you chase her from one forbidden place to another…all while she blithely ignores the cat tree you purchased especially for this reason. >.<
The very act of walking across the floor or up the stairs becomes a challenge, as you are mercilessly hunted and attacked at every turn. You’re not safe anywhere in your own home, not even when sitting, quietly minding your own business.
Even the long-suffering, patient, and much, much larger family dog will find himself the object of her predations.
Oh, she may deceive you on occasion with her wily, beguiling ways…
But never forget that she is always watching.
Plotting to hog the bath…
Or steal the dog’s bed…
Or explore the inner workings of a chair.
All the while wreaking havoc in her wake…
And driving you to write at the coffee shop for a year or two as you wait for Mr. Nash’s words to come true. 😉
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