Monday Morning Musings

Since it is Halloween, I thought I would tell you about our two new kittens who could be Halloween cats. We got them two weeks ago, but we didn't plan on getting black cats. I don't even like black cats, and the lady who was fostering these kittens, along with several others, had told me on the phone about all the other kittens she had available for adoption: A cute black and white tuxedo cat. An orange tabby. A silver tabby with little white paws that made her look like she was wearing mittens, and a gray cat with long hair and a regal stance.

And she had these two black cats. I cut her off right there, telling her that I wasn't interested in solid black cats. Not sure why. Maybe because solid black cats are so plain. Or maybe because of that old superstition about a black cat crossing your path being bad luck, even though I never thought I really believed that. Groucho Marx said that "A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere."

Pretty benign actually. No. The reason I don't like black kitties is really because they are dull and uninteresting. How many people look at a black cat and say, "Oh how darling? What a cute little kitty."

That aside, when we went to see all the cats, hoping to take home one or two of those cute little kitties, one of the black cats walked across the patio table and right up to my husband. The cat then crawled up his chest, nuzzled in his beard - my husband's, not the cat's - and started purring.

No doubt about it, my husband had his cat.

Then it was my turn to choose a cat. I picked up the Tuxedo cat, hoping he would take to me, but he jumped right down. Ditto for the tabby with the mittens and the orange tabby and the pretty gray kitten. Meanwhile this other little black cat kept walking up to me, touching my leg and giving the sweetest little meow, as if to say, "Take me. Take me."

I picked her up and she nuzzled in my neck, and now she is living in our house.

We were happy with two new cats, then last week, I found this cat in my barn who was injured. I took her to the veterinarian's, and luckily she was not hurt seriously. I had two choices at that point. Turn the cat loose - I think she belongs to a neighbor who seems not to care about her - or bring her home where she could finish healing.

Now we have three new cats.