Cats can change your world

 While I was in Napoleon getting a haircut Thursday, the hairdresser told me a sweet little story I'm going to share.  I'm paraphrasing, and may get some small detail wrong, but you will get the idea.  All wives and daughters will relate to this story.  

The lady's seven-year-old daughter spotted a stray kitten behind a dumpster at a gas station and fell in love with it.  The mother reluctantly said they could keep it, but not until the vet looked at it.  Well, the vet told them the cat was full of internal parasites; my hairdresser said, "I was not taking that cat home without knowing it was free of problems," so she boarded the cat with the vet for a week while he treated it.  When mother and daughter went home they broke the news to the husband, who has never liked cats.  He was adamant:  No cats in the house, period!  It was NOT coming into his home.  This went on for a few days while the cat was with the vet.  

"You mean he turned his sweet little girl down when she pleaded with him?"  I asked.  Yep.  He did.  

Finally, while the deadline approached for going after the cat, the girl went to her father and said, "You won't even give me a chance to show you I will take care of it!  If you give me a chance, I'll prove to you I can!"  By the way, this was during Girl Scout Week, and the child then told her dad, "It's the Girl Scout thing to do!"  There were more words from both of them, and they slammed outside through separate doors.  

Mom, listening from the other room and staying out of things, then heard a knock on the front door.  Her father-in-law, who had obviously heard some of the not-so-quiet confrontation, asked where his son was; she pointed toward a door, and out he went.  

Perhaps he put in a good word for his granddaughter, because when all was said and done, the cat was allowed to come home.  "And is she taking care of her cat like she promised?" I asked.  "Oh yes," she answered.  "She even cleans the litter-box every day without being reminded."

"How does your husband feel about the cat?"

"He's fine with it now.  And you know, I never had any idea how easy cats are to take care of!"

And they all lived happily ever after.

I hope you, my reader, have a happy ending to your day.