This is part one of a series of posts I hope to do this year called Cat Tails smiply because  I have had and/or have a lot of cats. Not something I set out to achieve but for better or worse I have a lot of cats. The picture to the right is the biggest contributor to the posse.

Her given name is Ms. Priss but because of the bountiful gift of many kittens we affectingly call this queen  Momma Cat. It was in the early hours of an April evening, as I worked on my mower in the garage,  that I got to meet Momma Cat for the first time

I was standing at the work table when I caught a movement from the corner of my eye. I turned my head and caught the blur of grey and black that looked like a cats hind quarters flashing out the door. I grunted a sound of that could have sounded  like real words but was one of being perplexed in a male caveman sort of way. As I turned back to my work I hear a faint noise at my feet.  I look down and there by my foot was a little fur ball. As my heart raced with the anticipation of a new discovery I bent over and picked  it up.  I then ran up to the front door and yelled in at the bride that I had “found” a kitten! ” How did you find a kitten” was her logical response. I explain what had happened  and we both searched  around the yard for the queen but cannot find her.

As my wife oohed and awed over the kitten I tried to finish the work on the mower. I hadn’t cut the yard yet that year but we have rain foretasted  tonight and I have to be ready for the first mow. As get back to work I keep  glancing at the door and about fifteen minutes or so later her she comes a again. With another little fur ball which she once again drops at my feet. I bent down and petted her and then  she heads out again.

I take the second kitten in and once again the bride and I start looking for Momma Cat. Once again nothing. Back to the garage I go and this time about a half hour later here comes Momma again. Kitten number three. She hangs around a little longer this time so I start to head in with the third kitten. Mommy is cool with that so off I go. When I get back to the garage she is gone again! This is worrisome because I feel she has more kittens out there but we can’t help her and the storm is a coming!

I decided to shut down everything in the garage and to hang out with my bride inside.  About every five minutes I get up a go outside to see if Momma Cat has came back. Well on the third or forth time out I see a head pop up over the kick plate of the screen door and it  meows at me. As start to open the door my wife cautions me to be careful.” Why” I ask? “What if she brought us another kitten ” is the reply. And she had. Right to our front door. I bring this one inside and grab a bowl with some water from which Momma Cat drinks deeply. She is tired. She lays down on the porch breathing very quick short breaths.

As she lays there I start to hear the rolling sounds of the approaching storm. I run inside to  grab my flashlight as the storms blots out the remaining daylight. I go out the door and she is gone. Again! I reason she would not leave her kittens without a good excuse, like there are more out there to get. I start to panic a little because the winds has increased in volume and attitude.  I search the garage, the  old barn and the shed on our place and can find no trace of Momma or of anymore kittens. I went back inside as rain started to fall ever so intermittently and I waited.

What seems like an eternity later I hear a meow at the door and there she is with one more kitten. This time I hand Rachel the kitten through the open screen door as Momma rests on the porch and I go search again as the rain starts to arrive along with the vociferous choirs of wrenching thunder and lightening. I  head back to the porch as the skies unleashes the storm in it’s totality. Momma looks at me contently and follows me in to the house to take care of her kittens. All are well and all are safe I conclude or she would have come in no matter what.

The rains last for days and there are flash floods all over the area. The creek behind our place comes up within twenty or so feet of our house. Not your every day variety of storms.  I blame my brides cleaning of both the inside and outside of the windows for the storms that year. I looked at Momma Cat and wonder if she knew that the place she had her kittens was not safe from the coming storms. Those storms that spring brought with them above average amount of  precipitation on the early spring landscape. Maybe she had spied my brides windowing cleaning and knew something bad was coming. She may or may not have know but she sure knew suckers when she found me and the bride.

That was thirteen years ago, and from what we later learned from our friend and the homes previous owner, she should be about sixteen now. She can’t get out side like she used to but still plays with our newest addition like a kitten when she wants to. Trust me as in all she has ever done she will only do it if she wants to! Sounds like a teenager  doesn’t it?

Now this is the first face I see every morning now before I even see my brides! Once again  everyone meet Momma Cat the start of my downfall as a normal sane human being into the realm of a cat person! Till the next Cats Tails , Peace.