Show and Tell - Our Family Gets Smaller

Hey to all you Show and Teller's this week!

Although we are done having children (and yes - I know that is the first time I've ever said that out loud here - and please...don't hold it against me!) our family has done a nice immitation of a rubber band in past few years.

The additions and subtractions have all been animal related, but lately they have been coming and going at a rapid rate. Check the status reports as you go!

Backstory:

When Bear was a baby (4 mo. old-ish), we agreed to take a kitten - one - but, "Oh, just take the last two! They are brother and sister and the boy is the runt" is what an appealing face said to us at the kitchen door.

Ok - (suckers, right?) - Tigger and Shadow joined our family. (Status: +2 cats)

(NOTE: this is Comedian, not Bear...but the best pic I could find)

They grew and that runt, wasn't really runtish at all. He thrived here! In fact, four years later we had to say goodbye to his sister, after she was hit by a car, but hobbled home. "Wow!" the vet exclaimed, "Her entire hip is diplaced and broken in countless places. She should be in unbearable pain, but she's ...not. It's a miracle." And so, we left that day with an empty cat carrier and sad hearts. (Status +1 cat)

Tigger moaned and searched for about a month. Then seemed to accept that he was alone, the king of the old farm house, and settled in for a loooong reign. His bliss was unattested until last Spring, when our semi-farm existance seemed to shift into an "animal shelter / safe place to live your last years" feel.

Let me couch this by saying, I'm not really an animal person. I have had two cats in my whole life (before all this anyway). The first I inherited by being born into the house. Her name was Lady. She died when I was six, froze under the side porch. I still remember my father pulling her stiff body out. It haunted me for years.

Flash-forward. I'm 10. And then, there was Butterscotch. The kitten I BEG.GED for, for years. He was adorable, orangish, cuddly, but just a bit too friendly! Although I still attest to this day that I locked him in the house on Halloween night, it appears he got out and followed some other, cooler, obviousy-loved-kitties more kid home that night. He never came back. I was devestated. I gave up.

No more pets for me!

But - aha - the pet God's had their revenge on me! I marred the BIGGEST pet lover, not to mention animal tamer, of them all. Seriously, this man is not just a horse-whisperer (although he is quite good at that), he can mentally communicate with ALL animals. They innately trust him. The Comedian received that gift too.

So - last spring a co-worker said how her MIL's dog was going to be "put down" becuause they were just getting too old to care for her. I can't explain my heart-pounding reaction to that news. I was aghast. I asked for a picture. I showed it to my husband. We went to visit the house and meet the dog. We brought Ginger home. (+ 1 cat - + 1 very-old dog)
Summer's here, I'm back waitressing. I come home one night and DH says to me, "Hey! Did you let the cat in?" "Um, yeah - why?" - "Oh, " he said rather matter-of-factly, "He's not getting along with the kitten so well."

THE WHAT?

Short version? He rescued a starving kitten someone dropped off in the barn thinking she would be allright. Sally joined our family. (Status +2 cats - who DON'T get along - + 1 very old-inconntinent dog)

Animal House came to an abrupt halt about three weeks ago.

Tigger had been taking small road trips for a while, 1 or 2 days, then coming home to eat and rest. Three weeks ago he left. Just decided, apparantly, "That house is not big enough for the both of us!" (Status +1 empathetic kitten - + 1 barely moving dog)

One week later, Ginger died. I think you can do the math.

And so - we are back to our original plan - 1 cat. Just not the one we thought we'd have.

Miss you Tigger. You were a good and loyal cat.

Oh - but lest we discount the 10 chickens growing at a rapid pace...here's a current pic. (And - YES - that means the little one made it!!)We sure do love our runts!