We have a kitten

Two or three years ago, I adopted a couple of kittens from a neighbor.  I named one of them Grady because he was gray; Cora named the other little male Buttons.  Those two kittens took to hanging out in Cliff's shop, where they entertained everyone with their antics.  I had them neutered as soon as the vet said they were old enough, which turned out to be far too soon.  I paid $70 per kitten, and Grady disappeared soon after he was fixed.  The cats live outside, so perhaps a fox or coyote had him for supper.  I once saw a fox stalking Buttons from the top of a big round hay bale, but he's still living, though feeble-minded as always; he never was the same after Cora ran over him in her Power Wheels jeep (I'm kidding... all that did was break his tail).  Grady was the favorite:  He was good-looking, friendly and intelligent.  My favorite color for a cat has always been solid gray, and I've mentioned to several people that I might take another kitten in if I could get a gray one.  

Enter Blue, stage left.

Here's the problem:  Last time, I got two kittens at once, so they were companions.  Here I am with just one kitten and two old cats, who of course won't like him much.  I can't just toss him in the barn by his teeny-tiny self and expect him to know that's his home.  Old Jake has already been lured away to an elderly neighbor's house, I assume because he's afraid of the grandson's Great Dane, who wouldn't hurt him for anything but whose size is intimidating when he runs toward you.  That elderly lady keeps food out for all cats, feral and otherwise; she also has them neutered if she can trap them, so honestly, she's doing some good.  Anyway, with Jake gone I only had Mama Kitty and Buttons left.

For about a month, I had three chickens in the back porch in a big box until I could move them outside.  I had just gotten that mess out of there a week ago, but when Cliff suggested I put Blue  in there until he gets settled.  Cliff and I don't want a house cat, ever.  I don't like cat-hair floating around, and I don't want them on my counters or table; let's not even talk about the litter box.  When Cliff and I got married, he had a strong dislike for cats, while I always loved them.  Now we've rubbed off on one another, I guess, because now Cliff can tolerate cats if they're outside, and that's where I want them too.  There was a time my husband would never have suggested I put any feline in the porch, but after keeping chickens there, I guess anything is an improvement.  He even cut down a side of an old plastic dishpan and filled it with oil-dry, for a temporary litter box.

Well, you can hardly expect a cat to live in a little back porch without seeing any living creature, so every once in awhile I let him in here with us, where he works on perfecting his stalking-and-killing comedy routine with Gabe.  He has been trying to find a source of milk on Gabe's belly, but I am strongly discouraging that; obviously, he came here straight from his mother.  He had to learn to drink water, too, but eating cat food came naturally to him.  

I tend to forget how entertaining a kitten can be.  However, I know from past experience that I've created a problem for myself, because once a cat has been inside, he thinks he owns that house forever.  I will live to regret ever letting him inside to play, because any time an outside door is opened, he'll run in, for the rest of his life.  Perhaps after I've turned him loose in the great outdoors, I'll keep a loaded water gun handy for times he sneaks in the door, or tries to.

I can imagine my readers thinking, "Oh yeah, she's hooked.  That kitten will be an inside cat for the rest of his life."

Oh no, he won't.  You don't know my husband; he'd never allow it... believe me, I've stretched him to his limit lately with the chickens.  But more importantly, I don't want a house cat.  However, I might consider keeping a bed in the back porch for him, feeding him there and, while he's so small, having him sleep there.  I'd hate to think of his becoming a midnight snack for a bobcat.  Just in case, I'm going to wait until he's five or six months old to get him neutered.  By then he will have some sense about how to stay alive and he won't go the way of Grady... I hope.

So, no house cats for me, although I've always said that if I lived alone, I might consider letting a cat live inside with me.  After watching Blue and Gabe chasing one another around, I realize that if nothing else, they'd give me something to laugh about.  But at this stage of my life, they'll have to play outside once Blue learns the ropes of living in the country without benefit of a nourishing and wise feline mother watching his back.

Life goes on.