A New Addition

The Ellett household gained a new four-footed member of the family last week. We adopted a friendly black tom kitten we have named Prospero.

Prospero came to us from a school friend of Maura’s whose cat had kittens in September. On Tuesday night we went to his home to meet his family and the kittens and to choose one. Prospero chose himself. We had brought along our cat carrier and left it in the middle of the floor. Prospero was more outgoing than his twin brother and explored the cat carrier first. We made our choice by shutting the door.

Prospero wasn’t happy to be carried off but he has adapted very well to his new home and family. For a few days we kept him closed up in the den to give our established cat Houdini a chance to get used to the idea of a kitten in the house and let Prospero establish a small territory of his own. Once we had taken Prospero to see the vet and the kitten had been given a clean bill of help and a flea treatment we let the two of them meet. Houdini wasn’t bothered at all by the new kitten and it didn’t take long for Prospero to begin to warm up to Houdini. Now we’ve seen them playing together, not quite like old friends but without any unwanted aggression.

A very calm and affectionate kitten, Prospero often purrs when he is held and petted. He has even been known to climb into laps without any prompting, which is not something that every cat will do. Because he is a kitten it is no surprise that he likes to play but he doesn’t play rough. Other kittens I have known have trouble learning not to use their claws and teeth when they are playing but Prospero already keeps his claws in when he’s playing with us.

It is good that Prospero fits in here so well. He is likely to be a member of the household for many years, until long after Maura has left home and gone away to college. We’ll do everything we can to make sure he has a long and happy life. Like Houdini he will be an indoor cat and like Houdini he will soon be neutered. While he is unlikely to enjoy the experience we know (and our vet agrees) that it is better for him in the long run. It will help keep him healthy and comfortable in his home and will also keep him from adding to the number of stray and homeless cats. As much as we love our cats, old and new, I’m certain in my opinion that two cats is enough for this house and would not want to feel responsible for more.

Saying Goodbye to a Friend

Mother’s Day was last Sunday but I’m not writing about that this week. On Saturday there was a sad occasion that marked my weekend more. We had to say goodbye to a beloved family pet.

Our cat Elmo had been with us since long before Maura was born. He was an affectionate and usually gentle animal who liked people and was often to be found on someone’s lap. Most often the lap was mine. Elmo was 16 or 17 years old (we aren’t quite sure) and had been sick for months so we knew the end was coming. It was still hard on Saturday morning when it was clear his condition had taken a turn for the worse. We took him to see the vet, half hoping that she would tell us that he would respond to treatment and improve. We were not surprised when she told us that he was unlikely to get better and the best thing we could do for him was to have him euthanized. He was clearly suffering; the decision was not difficult.

I stayed with Elmo until the end while Jennifer took Maura to the garden store to purchase a plant. It is a family tradition to mark the final resting place of pets with a planting. Elmo is now under a lilac bush. It is small now but it was already covered with flowers when we planted it and if it thrives it will add beauty to our yard in the spring. Not far away is the maple tree we planted over the ashes of another departed friend which gives great color to our yard in the fall. On a happier occasion the planting would have been a fun family activity. We have gardened together before and it is usually very enjoyable when we all work as a team. The weather was perfect and it was better to be outside than indoors.

We are all missing Elmo now, especially me, because I am home alone much of the time. Our remaining cat Houdini has his affectionate moments but he is not as much of a snuggler as Elmo was. It has been lonely around here this week. It won’t be for long. We have room in our home and hearts for two cats and we have already been talking about getting another. Elmo can’t be replaced but there are lots of cats looking for good homes. If one doesn’t come to us from a friend or acquaintance the way most of our cats have over the years we will adopt from an animal shelter, probably before the end of the summer.