In Memory of Shy-She

Yes, it is as it appears, we have (had) a cat named Shy-She, my daughter named her for reasons you'll find in the story below. I'm embarrassed to say I have mixed feelings about the passing of this lovely wild feline. And feel a little at fault for her death.

We had a funeral Saturday which consisted of my oldest son (being the minister) humming taps, but only getting the first 2 notes right. My oldest daughter bawling her eyes out, for she caught the wild cat and brought it home a few years back to torture me. And my 3 year old loudly repeating "Shy-She's in the ground, Shy-She's in the ground" during the attempted hum of taps.

I hate for anything to die, but feel somehow that it was my doing. The darn thing somehow could sneak into my house at night. And she felt the need to use my only carpeted room, the upstairs family room, as her personal toilet. Just a day before we found her, I cleaned the carpet and prayed she would no longer be able to find her way in.

Would I have changed my prayer if I new she would die? Hmmm.

So in Memory of Shy-She, here is a blog from a year or so ago.

Lesson learned "why babies are so cute"

Along with marriage comes the baby carriage right? Well sort of. Along with marriage my husband and I fell into a wonderful home. Upon returning from our honeymoon, we precisely moved into our magnificent 5,000 square foot church, soon to be house. Don't be fooled. I use the word magnificent to describe it's large size, along with how great the work that needed to be done before it was a home.

At that time, (10 years ago) the whole thing was gutted. No kitchen, no sheet rock, no windows to let the sunlight in. Thankfully we did have the luxury of a bathroom. Let me tell you, it was as magnificent as the rest of the house, double doors to the busy street outside and all!

Now, it's not so bad really. Most of the main floor has windows, sheet rock and light fixtures. The first thing we added was a kitchen, and just last year we finally got heat. The previous nine years in Oregon were a little cold.

I'm sure if you know anything about us and our family, you'd know my husband hates cats with a passion. His loving mother (who's not real fond of pets herself) was kind and loving enough to stoke that fire by helping our daughter catch a wild six month old female calico to bring home a few years back.

Sure my husband said no, but when a child is holding pet in hand and "Grandma said it was O -k- dad?" is the plea. What can you do? Two years later the cat is still wild as a panther and more fertile than a pair of rabbits.

Back to that church house. A few things seem to constantly be neglected in getting done.
1 No eaves
2 open rafters and studs up stairs
How is this relevant? You ask. I'll tell you.

Most animals you can catch once throw out the front door and never again worry about them pooping on your favorite leather couch. You'd think still with fifteen foot eaves that a cat couldn't get back in even with openings leading into that sky high attic.

Not true! Every night at the stroke of twelve I'm awakened by a terrible thrashing noise above my head, only to remember it's just the wild cat scaling the wall. The wild cat who happens to choose that minuscule part of the house where I sleep, to make such a noise each night. The wild cat who's second captured kitten from litter number three was just plopped in my lap while daughter number one from litter of seven is going back into the attic to retrieve more.

Kitten number one is already perched on my shoulder and has overcome hissing and biting and resorted to pooping and snoring.

You may think the solution to this kitten fiasco is simple. So do all of us.

*I think my husband should button up the house and put up the eaves. Then the cat couldn't get in. Now that would solve the problem.

*Then there is my husband who thinks yelling "Clean up this poop and keep that cat out of the house! I HATE CATS!" will solve the problem.

*And last but not least is daughter number one from litter of seven who thinks sobbing "I'll catch it and pay with my own money to have it fixed" will solve the problem. To which I reply "Yes, but then we'll need to put the siding on and get the eaves up so . . ."

I think you can see the problem. It's a constant cycle that all boils down to a matter of opinion really.

And if we can't agree? The problem may never be solved.

Now if I could just catch that mother cat . . . .get the eaves up and . . . . . Oh what's the use.
The house isn't finished anyway, and by the time it is, the teenage years will have set in. Seven kids ages ten to nineteen by then. I'm sure that cat (if it still exists) will be the least of our worries.

I'd better get back to taming these darn cats, so we can give them to some other unsuspecting family.

Which finally brings me to the lesson for today "Why babies are so cute!" If they weren't who'd want the darn things.

Ahhhh . . . .If the new family only knew what was coming.

Life is All Surreal. There comes a time in life where humor becomes necessary.

MJB