Look What the Cat Dragged In We are a one cat and one dog family. The dog is awesome, like most dogs. The cat is….well… a cat. Our dog, Buck, loves attention and always makes you feel especially loved and appreciated. The cat, Gus, is aloof, independent, and all things cat like. This means that he tolerates our presence and allows us to feed him and pet him. He’s sweet like that. In all seriousness, as far as cats go, this one is pretty cool. (I can’t believe I just said that a cat was cool… I’m sorry dad.) Neighbors walking their dogs or going for a stroll with their toddler will often stop to love on this adorable orange tabby. He lets anyone pick him up and even rub his belly. One day, my youngest child and her neighborhood friend dressed him in doll clothes and walked him around the block in a stroller. I thought it was hilarious and was amused that he didn’t even try to jump out. As far as cats go, I guess he’s a keeper. We’ve had Gus for about two and a half years and have watched him mature as a hunter. He’s left dead snakes, rats, lizards, anoles, moles, and birds on the front step as presents for us, as his adoring family. The carcuses of these animals aren’t the real problem. It’s the live ones. He’s brought in two live snakes, one half grown rabbit, and two birds that weren’t ready to be executed. Somehow, the threshold of the back doggie door seems to rejuvenate these prey. Then, they always want to take a tour of the house. Such were the events that preceded me writing this article. Gus brought in a young starling for us to admire. The bird took off and started flying around. Because the windows in the breakfast room were open, he took off straight for them only to get caught by screened windows and blinds. The kids were going crazy and and feathers were going everywhere. Gus of course got interested in something else by this time and left the Kale family to figure out this problem. The only real issue was that the kids were the only ones home. I had stepped out for a few minutes and learned about the whole thing through a FACETIME chat in real time with my kids. They were smart enough to open the front door and try to run the poor creature outside. It worked and all was right in the world again. As I think about it, I realize that the biggest problems in life are the live ones. There is no reason to beat dead horses or resurrect old arguments when the cat is still bringing in plenty of live problems. Just like our house, most of our problems find their way into our lives through the back door. They sneak in and no one expects any excitement. The next thing you know, there are proverbial birds flapping, brooms swinging, and fishing nets reaching. Life goes crazy for a few minutes and the cat moves on to something else. Take time this week and deal with what the cat is dragging into your life. If you need to close the door to let life settle down, do it! Take note of who keeps bringing trouble into your home. Are there any “cats” that keep dragging stuff into your simple and ordered world? My guess is that you have somebody who keeps bringing in the chaos. I encourage you to give a proper funeral to your old problems and get on with the business of dealing with the live ones. If that doesn’t work, you can always dress them up in baby clothes and let the kids handle it! Love one. Love another. Jack
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 12:36:28 +0000