Peppy Pets
May 03, 04


Princess, Patches, Reddy and Precious
THE NIGHT FOUR MIRACLES CHANGED MY LIFE
By Randy Snow

May 11, 2000, an evening I will always cherish.
I had just come home from work, rushed up my back stairs,
and hurried into my apartment’s bedroom to check on my mama-
to-be-any-minute cat, Princess.

Princess had accidentally gotten outside following the
landlord after he had checked some things in my apartment
the beginning of the last week of February. He didn’t notice
her exiting onto the porch behind him. She instantly began a
brisk five days of freedom and adventure, but, after the
temperatures turned cold that Friday evening of her
exploring she decided to come home. I was frantic trying to
find her…but then, I heard her crying at the bottom of my
back stairs, wanting to come in, but still timid and worried
that she might get scolded. I opened my back door, stepped
out onto the back porch and coaxed her to come inside. After
a couple of minutes of my pleading and promising not to
punish her, she carefully jumped up each step, pausing for a
second, and then, when she reached the top of the porch she
darted inside. I was SO relieved that my Prodigal Princess
was home! She hadn’t been spayed yet, so I instantly started
to wonder and worry if more than just she had come home.

The first four weeks after her homecoming she didn’t show
any signs of pregnancy, so I breathed a happy sigh of
relief. Then, suddenly, as if by overnight, her sides
swelled way out and her belly almost touched the floor. At
my first notice of the phenomenon I thought that someone had
snuck inside my apartment, put an air hose in her mouth, and
over-inflated her formerly sleek white, pumpkin, tan, and
black calico body with air. I think I almost went into shock
at the first sight of her new look. Now I knew I had to get
ready for the upcoming event!

I quickly prepared for the arrival of the new kittens. I
went to a store and found a cardboard box with sides steep
enough to keep the babies inside, but low enough for mama to
jump out. I liked it with an old baby blue worn-out cotton
blanket, and added a couple of my old T-shirts to the bottom
on top of the blanket to have my scent around while I would
be at work. I even brought a bowl of food and a bowl of
water next to the box on the floor so Princess would only
have to leave the kittens to use the litter box under the
sink in the kitchen.

I had only been home a few minutes checking the box and
supplies when I heard her utter a strange “Meow?” almost
like a question. She had jumped on top of my bed and her
water had just broken! I quickly but gently picked her up
and put her into the box. I grabbed the bedding off the bed
and told her “Papa will be right back!” over my shoulder as
I hurried out my bedroom door, quickly opening my back door,
slamming it shut, and almost running down my back stairs to
get into the cellar door to throw the bedding into the
washer. I had a quick vision of myself doing an
unintentional pratfall, but dismissed the thought to save
time. I almost flew back up my steps, burst through my back
door out of breath, and sat on the floor next to the
makeshift birth-nest. I started petting Princess, scratching
under her chin, and carefully spoke in a soft and soothing
voice telling her, “Princess, you’re such a beautiful good
girl, and I know you will be a wonderful mama!” She purred
and gratefully looked into my tear-welling eyes.

“Papa will stay right here with you while your babies are
born to make sure everything is perfect,” I assured her.

Then, she kissed my trembling fingers, rolled a little bit
onto her side, and, within moments, the first miracle
appeared into the world. Such a tiny and adorable baby girl
kitten left the warmth and safety of her mother's womb to
greet the world inside the little nest I had made for them.
She was tinier than a field mouse! Even though the newborn
daughter was still inside the embryonic sac, mama
instinctively knew how to free and bathe our new little
girl. After the kitten was clean she was snow-white with
black patches. I named her Patches.

A few minutes later Princess returned to lying on her side.
I started scratching, petting, and soothing again. She
sweetly kissed my fingers again, and in a few minutes,
Patches had a reddish-orange brother. After he was cleaned I
noticed he had the same extra toe on his tiny front paws as
his mother. Both he and his mother's front paws resembled
mittens. I knew right away I would keep both Patches and
him. I didn’t name him right away, but later, after he and
the others were old and strong enough to leave the box I
named him Reddy; red for his color, and “Reddy” because he
was always ready to run and play. Reddy was the second
miracle of the night.

In just a few minutes another reddish-orange brother was
born and mama quickly did her motherly duties once more. He
was another handsome and third miracle! (Later I named him
Rusty.) By this point tears of pure joy were streaming down
my face adding moisture to the blanket against mama’s side.
All three present miracles were hungry and were struggling
with closed eyes to find their mama’s milk. Princess tried
to move around a little to lie flat for the babies to feed.
I put the corner of one of the shirts over my fingers to
move a baby out from behind her. After about an hour of
watching the new lives tumble and feed I noticed Princess
wanted to get prepared for another arrival. Another little
girl, mainly snow-white with only a few black patches left
mama’s body to join her brothers and sister. She was even
daintier than Patches, and had almost a regal look about
her. To me she had the profile of a feline Duchess, so that
was what I named her. Mama very quickly cleaned up the
fourth miracle so she could join the rest in their first
feeding.

What a wonderful night that was! In a matter of a few hours
our lives were all transformed. Princess was now a proud
mama blessed with four beautiful and handsome children, and
I became a proud papa to all of them! I felt, and still
feel, so blessed with having been a part of the entire
incredible night of miraculous lives in my own bedroom.
Suddenly I had a radiant and fantastic family of new lives
for me to watch and help Princess take care of. That was
truly the night when four precious miracles forever changed
my life!


Oreo



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Rug Nuggets

Rug Nuggets

I spent all of yesterday,
And most of the day before,
Picking up those rug nuggets
Where they hadn't been before.

I found one by the back door,
And another by the chair.
I saw some in the corner,
And I see some over there.

I bend down to pick them up
Until I'm nearly drained.
I surely will be happy
When this puppy's potty trained.

jhs copyright 2003

Feel free to use this in your e-mailings if you wish. My wife and I
both enjoy receiving your e-mail, they are both entertaining and
informative. Thank you.

John & Jackie Summers


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