Feline Funeral

Today we mourn the passing of our dear cat, Sophie.  She was ill and uncomfortable and it wasn't something the vet could fix, so we laid her to rest at the farm.  Kirk took care of the dirty work and the girls and I showed up just in time to put her in the ground.  The girls decorated a box for her and we lowered her into a hole in the pasture.  Each girl said what they loved about her and then threw flowers followed by a few shovel fulls of dirt.
It was so interesting to see that each girl had a different reaction to her departure.  It really varied by personality and age...
Hannah - Tears, fond memories, sadness.
Paige - I will miss her, now let's move on.
Maren - Can I help put her to sleep?  How will you do that?  What happens when we put dirt over the box?  Let's fill up the hole.  Won't throwing dirt on her box be uncomfortable for her?  Let's plant a tree here. 
Izzy - Goodbye Sophie, I liked to hold you.  And I know you liked me too.

You know you live in the rural Northwest when...

...Your neighbor brings your cat home because the eagles were circling and she was afraid he was going to get eaten. (Max is a very friendly cat and loves to visit the neighbors).

Cat People

After already having a dog in our married life - and knowing the work that goes into taking care of a pet - we were quite reluctant to add an animal to our already busy life. But I have been pleasantly surprised. Max and Sophie are happy when they get attention and just as happy left to themselves. They need food, water, a place to sleep and clean litter box. The girls have been doing a great job of meeting all of those needs, so I have been able to enjoy two sweet pets who like a little ear scratching and tummy rubbing every once in a while. The girls get to enjoy a little responsibility and lots of love and affection. Who would have known? Could I be a cat person after all? Probably not, but they are cute.

What were we thinking?

Perhaps it was Hannah's well written letter pleading for a pet. Perhaps it is because our children ogle over every dog, cat, horse, goat, (or moose, for that matter) that walks by our house. What ever enticed us into it, we are now the proud owners of two kittens. We were tempted to bring home three, but resisted (Gigi is still tugging at my heartstrings from the shelter). Introducing Sophie and Max (name not firm). If they survive the excessively loving attention of four girls, they are sure to grow into hearty and happy cats.