by Patricia Fry
"'Bye, Auntie."
"Good-bye, Maggie."
Moments later Savannah parked in her own driveway near Colbi's car. "Wait," she instructed, "hold onto her while I get a carrier. I don't want her to get away from us out here in the yard."
"Good idea."
"She is adorable, isn't she?" Savannah said upon returning. "And she walked right into the carrier. She doesn't appear to be terrified, just awfully, awfully curious."
Colbi chuckled. "Well, I hope you don't get kicked out of the house for bringing in another critter."
"It's just temporary and in the line of duty," Savannah said confidently. She giggled. "Oh, it's going to be so much fun having a kitten around again." She hugged Colbi, watched her climb into her own car, and waved as she drove away. She looked into the carrier again and sighed. "Now, how do I introduce you to Michael?" She smiled at the kitten. "He's not always fond of surprises of the furry kind. It's nothing against you, pretty girl. I think it's a man thing. They like drawing lines. It makes them feel like they're in charge." She laughed. "Yeah, just look at him like that and you'll surely win him over."
****
Michael arrived home from work as usual that afternoon around four thirty. After greeting everyone, he plopped down on the sofa, removed his shoes, and slipped into his flip-flops. Before Savannah could stop her, Lily ran into the living room and jumped up onto his lap, chanting, "Mommy has a surprise! Mommy has a surprise!"
"Oh?" He looked at Savannah and complained, "Oh, no."
"What?" she chirped innocently.
"Why do I get the distinct impression it's a live surprise?" When she grinned at him, he blurted, "The surprise isn't out in the corral is it?"
She shook her head. "No. It isn't livestock."
Michael looked suspiciously at her. "It's not another cat, is it? Savannah, tell me you didn't bring home one of those wild cats."
She cringed and tried to explain, "Well, she doesn't seem to be wild and it isn't like I planned to or even because I wanted to…"
"Are you saying the cat made you do it?" Michael asked.
Savannah nodded. "She seems to be calling the shots, actually." When he remained quiet, she continued, "She evidently jumped into the back of my car while we were working with the colony. We were halfway home before we noticed we had a hitchhiker." She swooned, "Oh, Michael she's so cute."
"Yeah, they're all cute," he grumbled, "but Savannah…"
"Michael, we're not going to keep her. I'd like you to vaccinate her. I've given her a bath and treated her for fleas. She doesn't have any ticks or lice. I'm pretty sure she's been spayed. I see what appears to be a tattoo near a scar."
"Is she from the colony at Randy's place? She doesn't have an ear clip?" he asked.
"No," Savannah said. "She's too pretty for that."
He looked into her eyes. "Then what?" When she looked puzzled, he clarified, "After we vaccinate her, then what?"
"Then we foster her and help her find just the right home. Michael, I feel strongly that this is what we need to do. Like I said, it's as if she has asked me to take care of her. Wait until you see her little face. She has these eyes that…"
"Okay, okay, bring her in. We want to see her, right kids?"
"The kitty?" Lily said. "She likes to play. She's fun. Not like Rags and Buffy."
"Well, let's get a look at her," Michael said. "Daddy hasn't seen her."
"See cat," Teddy cried.
"Shhh," Savannah said. "Everyone be quiet so we don't scare the kitty. I'll go get her now. Wait there. Moments later Savannah announced in a singsong manner, "Here she is." She sat down next to Michael with the kitten in her arms and explained, "She came out from under the seat while I was driving and rubbed against my ankle. I thought it was a skunk or a lizard or something."
"Lizard?" Teddy asked. "Where's the lizard. I want lizard."
"It's not a lizard," Michael said, laughing, "it's a Lizzie."
"Lizzie?" Teddy repeated. "No Lizzie. Want lizard."
"Lizzie," Savannah said. "That's a cute name for a cute cat. Isn't she cute, Michael?"
"Very cute," he said, reluctantly. "I see what you mean about the eyes. It's like she's seeing clear into your brain or something." He ruffled the fur under her chin. "She's pretty calm."
Savannah nodded. "She is, but I've kept her in the large pen for most of the day. This is a big house with a lot of places for a cat to get lost."
"Hon, if she let you wrangle her and bring her into the house, I doubt she'll hide from you," Michael reasoned.
"Well, maybe not." Savannah laughed. "Plus, I don't think Rags will let her out of his sight. Look at him. He can't keep his eyes off her." She winced. "Okay, little Lizzie, here goes. Want to get down and play and explore?" Savannah placed the kitten on her lap and released her gentle grip.
Lizzie stared down at Rags, who sat nearby on the floor, then up at Michael and Savannah. She moved aside when Teddy tripped and fell against Savannah's knees, then she gazed at Lily, who sat quietly next to her. She stepped gingerly onto Lily's lap and sniffed her face. Lily giggled when the kitten touched noses with her.
"Awww," Savannah said. "She loves you, punkin. That was a kitty-kiss."
Lily petted the kitten and smiled. "I like her, Mommy. Can we keep her?"
"Yes, but only until she doesn't need us anymore. We're going to be her foster family."
Lily wrinkled her nose. "What?"
"We'll take care of her and teach her all the things she needs to know, then we'll find a good home for her."
"You let her out of the cage?" Gladys asked, walking into the room. "So what do you think, Michael?"
"We're just fostering her, Mom. We aren't going to keep her," Savannah said.
Gladys rolled her eyes. "I've heard that before, Savannah Jordan Ivey."
Savannah was taken aback. "Uh-oh, I guess I'm in trouble."
Michael chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you are. She used your full name."
"Does she have a name yet?" Gladys asked, sitting down next to Lily on the sofa and petting the kitten.
Savannah nodded. "Teddy named her."
"Oh?" Gladys said. "What's her name, Teddy?"
"Lizard," he said.
"Well, that was his first choice," Savannah explained. "We revised it a little. What do you think of Lizzie?"
"That's better," Gladys said. She gazed into the cat's face. "Why is she looking at me like that?"
"She does that," Savannah said. "It's as if she knows stuff. Isn't it interesting?"
Gladys shrugged. "I guess."
"Oh…oh…" Savannah said. "Look at that. She wants on your lap, Mom."
Gladys sat back and allowed the kitten to crawl onto her lap. She smiled when Lizzie curled up and began licking one of her paws. "Oh my, she is sweet, isn't she? You say she was with the wild cats? Poor thing. No wonder she took a ride with you. She doesn't seem cut out for that lifestyle."
"No she doesn't," Savannah agreed.
Michael winced. "She's quite the little manipulator. She's already won four of my family members over and she's been here for, what," he looked at his watch, "all of half a day?"
"Four?" Savannah questioned. "Are you including yourself in that list?"
"No," he insisted. "You, Lily, your mom, and Rags. Look at Rags. He seems to be mooning over her. He's hypnotized."
Gladys smiled at Rags. "Well, she is a sweet thing, and she's so soft. Have you felt her fur, Michael?"
"I touch fur," Teddy said, running to Gladys.
"Don't scare her," Gladys warned, helping Teddy pat the cat gently. "She's relaxing." Gladys explained, "She started to bolt when Teddy came close, but now she's actually purring."
"I guess she is a cat of a different color," Michael said. "I wonder how she found herself at the colony. Maybe there are other tame cats out there."
"Gosh that would be nice," Savannah said. "It would make our job tons easier."
"And it could be that she has a home," he added.
"We'll have to check for a chip and maybe run notices on that local classified Facebook page you follow."
"Yeah, I suppose we should," Savannah agreed. She leaned over and kissed the kitten on top of the head, then stood up and asked, "Is everyone ready for dinner?"
"Sure am," Michael said.
"I think I'll just sit here with this darling cat," Gladys crooned, continuing to pet her.
Savannah smiled at her mother. "Well, she sure seems to have lowered your stress level. Cats are good at doing that, you know—some cats more than others." When Gladys looked puzzled, she said, "Mom, you've been so upset lately about what's been going on at your storage unit."
Gladys closed her eyes. "Don't remind me. Just let me enjoy this charming being for a few minutes."
"Want us to bring you a plate?" Savannah offered.
"No, I'll come to the table. It's ready, by the way. The casserole is heated and the salad is tossed. Shall I just put her in one of the beds while we eat?"
"Sure," Savannah said.
The family had been eating for a few minutes when Michael felt something push against his leg. He looked down. "Well, hello, Lizzie. Are you hungry?"
"Oh my gosh," Savannah said, jumping to her feet. "She probably is. And so are the others. How did I forget to feed them?"
"You haven't fed her all day?" Michael asked.
"Yes," Savannah insisted. "I fed her when we got home this morning." She called out, "Come on, gang; let's eat!" She picked up the young cat and carried her to the feeding station. "Here's a clean plate, I'll get you some yummy canned food. You seemed to like it for lunch." She had just settled the cat down to eat with the other animals, returned to her seat, and took a couple of bites when Lizzie landed in her lap with her front paws on the table sniffing her plate.
"Uh-oh," Savannah said. "This behavior won't go over around here. We have boundaries for cats, you know." She carried Lizzie back to her own plate and said, "You eat here." When she realized the plate was empty, she said, "Oh, she ate it all. I'll give her some more."
"That might not be a good idea," Michael said. "She may not be used to the food we're feeding."
"Just a little," Savannah said. However, by the time she had put the cat food can away and returned to the table, she found the kitten on her chair sniffing her plate again.
Michael and Gladys laughed.
"Darn it," Savannah said. "I hate to do it, but I guess you already need a time out in the big pen." She snuggled with the kitten. "You are dear, but a little pushy there. You stay in here for now," she said, closing the gate to the pen. "We'll explore and play after supper." Savannah sat down at the table and looked back at the pen. "Those eyes," she said when she saw the kitten staring at her. "Gosh they're expressive. She's making me feel like a monster."
"Get over it," Michael said. "You have to get beyond all that cuteness if you're going to be a successful foster parent."
"I don't think I can," Savannah wailed. "Have you looked into her face?"
"I try not to," Michael said. "Hey, it looks like you've removed the litter box from the pen. Have you shown Lizzie to the bathroom yet?"
Savannah jumped up again. "Oh my gosh. Yes, she used it. I took it out of the pen to clean it. She might need to go after eating, though." She lifted Lizzie out of the pen, murmuring in her ear, "I'm so sorry, little one. You probably have to go. Poor thing."
When Savannah returned to her meal this time, Michael asked, "So, is she using it? Does she seem to know what it is?"
"Yeah, she leaped right into the box we keep in the bathroom off the service porch and started turning in circles sniffing. I left when she squatted. Yeah, she seems to be box-trained." She muttered, "I wonder if she actually belongs to someone around here. But she was so far away from any of the houses."
"Not that far," Michael said. "She could have actually come in on a delivery truck or something." He chuckled. "She obviously likes car rides." He looked toward the service porch. "Do you think you'd better check on her?"
"You haven't seen her come out of there?" she asked. "She started to stand up when Lizzie leaped onto her lap again. "Oops," she yelped. "What do you think you're doing now?"
Michael and Gladys laughed.
"It's not funny," Savannah insisted, looking down at her plate. "She has absolutely ruined my yam. I got it all buttered just right and here she comes walking right through it with icky, litter-box paws." Savannah quickly picked up the cat and began wiping the yam off of her paws.
"She's got it, hon," Michael said, still laughing. "She wants to lick it off her feet. It's okay, yam's good for her."
Savannah huffed. "It's good for me too and I was looking forward to eating it." She held the kitten up and looked into her eyes. "You little stinker. How did you get up there without me seeing you, anyway? You ruined my dinner." She finished cleaning Lizzie's paws, then carried her to the pen. "You will be just fine in there for a few more minutes until we finish eating. Now stop it!" she demanded.
"What's she doing?" Gladys asked. "It doesn't look like she's doing anything wrong."
"She's looking at me," Savannah complained. "That's what's making me feel guilty."
****
The women had finished cleaning the kitchen, when Savannah said to her mother, "I think I'll check the litter box."
"Why?" Gladys asked.
"I want to make sure little Miss Bright-eyes used it, and it's a way to sort of check on her health."
"Really?" Gladys asked.
Savannah nodded. "Yes. I need to know that she went inside the box and that her leavings look normal." Moments later, she shouted, "Good grief!"
"What happened?" Gladys asked, joining Savannah in the bathroom. She laughed. "Did that cute little thing create this big sand dune?"
Savannah shook her head in disbelief. "I guess she did."
"What's so funny in here?" Michael asked, walking into the room. "Good lord!" he exclaimed. "What happened? Did the cats have a sand fight? Maybe Rags is getting too heavy and he tipped the box. He is kind of big for this one."
Savannah put her hands on her hips. "I don't think it was Rags."
"Wait," Michael said, "Was that Teddy?"
"Teddy?" Savannah asked.
"I caught him digging in there with his shovel the other day," Michael explained.
"No. I don't think he's been in here. No Michael. I believe our new rascal kitty had something to do with this. None of our cats have ever tried to build a sand castle before," Savannah said. "It has to be Lizzie. It looks like she just had a good old time playing in the litter." She shook her head. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"Ourselves?" Michael repeated. "Gladys, I think she's including us. Is this something you signed up for?"
"No," Gladys said, amused.
"Me neither. It's all on you, hon. Your project. Your sand." Michael laughed and walked out the door, calling, "Have fun."
"I will," she said, picking up the broom and dustpan. She called after Michael, "You have to admit she has personality." Savannah had just finished cleaning up the overflow of litter when Lily ran into the kitchen, calling, "Mommy, Mommy."
"What?" Savannah asked.
"Come look. Lizzie's wearing your shoe! She's wearing your shoe, Mommy."
"What?" Savannah asked, hurrying into the living room behind Lily. She looked down at the tabby and crooned, "Oh, how cute."
Michael and Gladys chuckled quietly as the three of them took in the sweet scene before them. There Lizzie lay sound asleep with both front paws tucked inside one of Savannah's sandals.
"She melts my heart," Savannah said. "Is that precious or what?"
"She is a cute one," Michael agreed.
Gladys continued to smile down at the young cat. "She reminds me of Rags, Vannie."
"How's that?" Savannah asked.
"She's kind of a stinker. She has a knack for getting into trouble, but she also has this unique ability to worm her way out of it. Just like Rags."
"Only cuter," Savannah said. When she saw Rags sitting on the floor next to her also staring at the sleeping kitten, she picked him up and snuggled with him. "Let's hope she won't cause any serious problems while she's here, huh, Ragsie?"
Chapter Four
"So how's our newest freeloader?" Michael asked the following morning at breakfast.
"Well…" Savannah started.
"Uh-oh, what happened?" he asked.
"I got up in the night to check on her. I wanted to make sure she wasn't lost or frightened or…"
"Or getting into things, breaking things, chewing on things…" Michael said.
"Yeah, I guess, but I couldn't find her. I got Rags to help me and he couldn't find her, either," Savannah said. "I was worried that she'd become stuck or locked in someplace…"
"So you must have found her, where?" he asked. He spoke to the kitten, who sat across the room in Lexie's dog bed staring at him, "Where were you?" He chuckled. "By the way what are you doing in Lexie's bed?" He shook his head. "She is brazen. I don't recall Lexie ever sharing her bed with any other cat." He laughed. "So she was sleeping with Lexie last night?"
"No, but you should have seen the takeover," Savannah said.
"Takeover?" he asked, amused.
"Yes, when Lizzie took over Lexie's bed a while ago. She didn't try to bully Lexie—I mean she's a whole lot smaller than the dog is." She giggled. "She just coaxed Lexie out of her dog bed, then moved in."
"How?" Michael asked. "I mean, Lexie's pretty attached to her bed. How did that cute kitten coax her out of her bed?"
"Well, Lexie was just hanging out there like she always does this time of day and here comes the little fur ball. Lizzie walked up to Lexie and, I guess, noticed Lexie's rope toy lying there next to her. So Lizzie picked up the toy and dragged it across the room. When Lexie saw this, she followed the cat until she dropped the toy. While Lexie was picking up her rope toy, Lizzie took over Lexie's bed." She chuckled. "And look at poor Lexie. She doesn't know what to do, do you, girl? She's like, 'What in the heck just happened?'"
