I’m concerned about my cat’s safety.
I’m a little afraid my daughter might kill her.
It’s not that my daughter is displaying any other signs that she will grow up to be a serial killer, it’s just that she has begun to cope incredibly well with the idea of no longer having her cat. Too well, I’d say.
You see, my husband and I decided that a 24 foot travel trailer is simply too small for two adults, two children, and a cat. Since we can’t leave behind the kids, it seems that we will have to find a new home for the cat before we move into the RV. We’ve been trying to prepare my daughter Emma for this upcoming separation for months.
At first, the discussions did not go well.
“But why can’t we take her with us?”
“Baby, there isn’t enough room for a cat in there. She’d have nowhere to walk or sit or lay or play.”
“She could stay in my bed!”
“Honey, it would be miserable for her. And way too hot. Cats can die if you leave them in a hot place for too long.”
It’s that last bit Emma has latched on to. Not that she’s suddenly decided to sacrifice her own happiness in order to save the life of her beloved pet – but rather she has realized that the absence of a cat would mean the elimination of one of her parents’ main objections to getting another pet.
“I want a dog.”
“You can’t have a dog, you already have a cat.”
But if she no longer has a cat…
“Why can’t we take her with us?” has now been replaced with “When Taffy dies, can I get a dog/hamster/rat/bird/goat?”
She is obsessed with the seemingly limitless number of ways in which she can replace her precious kitty. It’s gotten morbid.
The other day, she came busting through the front door after school gasping for breath, clearly excited to share another fabulous idea with me. “Mom! *gasp* Mom! *gasp* Mom!”
“What is it, Sweetheart?”
“Mom! When Taffy dies…”
That was it. I decided it was time to explain to her just how inappropriate this line of thinking had become.
“Emma, you need to stop talking about Taffy like she’s getting ready to die.”
“No, but Mom, I’m just saying, when Taffy dies…”
“Emma, listen. Are you making plans for what you’re going to do when Mommy dies?”
That did it. She stopped huffing and puffing and cocked her head to the side like the puppy she’d been dreaming about. She studied me, obviously trying to wrap her head around the wisdom bomb I’d just dropped on her. And then I saw the light of understanding flicker in her beautiful blue eyes.
She leaned forward and placed one small hand on each of my cheeks, holding my face close to hers so that we could lock eyes. Clearly the idea of losing me had resonated with her on a deep level. Her sudden shift in demeanor made me wondered if maybe that had been the wrong track to take.
“Mom,” her voice was low and steady, willing me to listen closely and pay attention. “I said TAAAAFFFFFFFFEEEEE, not Mom. When TAAAAFFFFFFFFEEEEE dies…”
Right. Because obviously I’m the one who doesn’t get it.
I think Taffy better watch her ass.
About Britt Reints
I really enjoyed your post. I do feel badly for the cat. I hope she gets a good home. I am sure she will miss you.
We’ll make sure of it!
Twitter Name: missbritt
Would it be possible for a friend to take your cat for the duration of your adventure?
That’s what we’re hoping. No takers so far, but we’ll figure out something.
Twitter Name: missbritt
Kids get the funniest ideas! This was such a funny post. You can send that little ole’ kitty down my way. :-)
Awww, thanks for the offer! lol
Twitter Name: missbritt
So, is the cat dead yet? And, how lucky you are to have kids that can use reason–they’re own messed up reason, for sure, but reason nonetheless. . .
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
Yeah, well, the child actually said to me yesterday:
When you die I’m going to get a dog.
Twitter Name: missbritt
Oh Taffy…
The cat probably packed her litter box already. Maybe Emma is just helping her transition with tough love…
Twitter Name: NorthWestMommy
I wish “packed” was the same as “cleaned”.
Twitter Name: missbritt
We had a similar conversation around here… except it’s a parrot and not a dog. Sigh.
Twitter Name: Faiqa
And you know parrots NEVER die, so you’ll have that one for LIFE.
Twitter Name: escameron
I’m with Emma. Think of the possibilities!
Twitter Name: uppoppedafox
TAAAAFFFFFFFFEEEEE…
Parents can be so dense sometimes. ;)
Twitter Name: msmegan
Now I feel a little bit bad, because I think the same things about my cat. “When Romy dies, I want to get a new kitten. Or maybe a cockapoo.” I have no desire to see my cat die, nor do I have any desire to smother him in his sleep. But he’s fat and lazy, and not so fun anymore, and it makes me wish I had an animal that would PLAY.
Twitter Name: escameron
Very funny post. These kids. They think pets are like tissues. One gets lost/ripped/dead, just get another one.
I wonder if your cat is mad because you named her Taffy. Our cat was named Patrick, and I think it really pissed him off because it took him, like, 2 years to learn his name (and we had him from 8 weeks on).
Twitter Name: DTKMMeLookCrazy