We all know me. It happened. At 1:30 in the morning both Tonk and Rusty woke me up barking their heads off. I was afraid someone was outside my house. I grabbed my cell phone, went from room to room flipping on lights and talking loudly. My conversation with myself: "Hey, Cindy. Call the police for me while I am checking out the house. Thank you." I flipped the exterior lights on and off. I quietly went into the dark garage to see if I could hear something. Out in the dark I heard a faint meow, like a tiny cry for help. I opened the garage door, took the big flashlight and spotted a kitten under the van. I wiggled my fingers and it came straight to me.
We went back into the house. I kenneled the dogs, made her a makeshift litter box and set her up with access to my 1/2 bath and took her to bed. She settled down and started purring.
The next two nights were lessons-learned nights. Not for me. Tonk and Rusty needed to settle down, and they quickly learned why. (Ruby was still with us, but she just wandered over, sniffed the cat and turned away as if to say, "Oh well, she's brought something home. What else is new?") We were watching TV the next night. The kitten was sitting on the arm of the couch next to me. Tonk kept jumping up to sniff. When she had had enough, out came her little paw as fast as lightening with those little stickers on the end and bopped him on the nose. Tonk yelped and jumped up on the couch on my right side and hid. However, Rusty needed further schooling.
After a couple of nights everything settled down. I made an appointment with the vet for Friday and knew I had to give her a name. Did I mention I had a couple of Margaritas that night? If you can see in the picture she has little mittens on her front feet, white socks on her back feet, and well, she is a KITTEN after all. So I named her Smitten.
At the Vet it was determined that she was two months old. She weighed all of 2 pounds and was in great health. When the Vet, who has only known me to have large dogs, looked at the name and said, "Well, I guess you are smitten with her." I said, "No sir, I had three Margaritas."
Days went by, and she started showing signs that she knew who was boss. Tonk was on the footstool at my feet. She slithered up below him and sprang up with front paws splayed out wide like she was going to attack. When he bolted.........she knew she had instilled the fear of the mighty and ferocious kitten in him.
It didn't take long for everything to form a daily routine. But Rusty wanted more. He really wanted her to play with him. One of Rusty's routine is to cuddle on me. He sits on my left him. He slides his body up until his head is on my shoulder and wraps his left front paw around my neck. One night, Smitten decided to join him. She inched up onto my lap, got comfy and rested her head on his hip. Rusty didn't move. He was barely breathing. Then Smitten started purring.
Rusty slowly lowered his left front paw down to her area. Then it happened. This dang dog was so happy he started drooling on me!!! I couldn't believe it. After five minutes of being drooled on I broke up the Love-Fest. I had no idea a dog could be so happy it would drool.
