A Christmas Memory

Long, long ago there was a little girl who was very assertive about what she wanted. "I want a kitty," she said. "A kitty would make me very happy." She didn't whine about it. She didn't plead or beg. She quietly stated her wishes intermittently. I am a dog person, not a cat person. I hoped she would forget about her wish. I would just about get to the point where I thought she had forgotten about it when she would bring her desire for a kitty to my attention again. Eventually, I had to admire her technique. Even though she was very young, she wasn't bratty or immature about it. She was very determined and very assertive. I wanted to reward that part of her personality. So against my better judgement, we helped Santa out one Christmas. A gray kitty was rescued from the pound and brought to a friend's house. The friend gave her a bath and a big red bow. About midnight I drove to my friend's house to pick up the kitty. Exhausted, I hauled the cat into the house about 1 a.m. I had a litter box, a food dish, and a water dish ready. I also had a gift box with holes in it so the little girl could open the box and find her kitty from Santa. But at 1 a.m., this Christmas kitty wasn't tired. It didn't want to stay in the box. This kitty wanted to look around. I couldn't have the kitty walking around the house meowing and exploring. I ended up semi-asleep on the couch all night with a kitty on my chest. Every time I felt the kitty leave, I would wake up, grab it and put it back on my chest. By 6 a.m. I was exhausted. Everyone else was asleep. I couldn't handle the kitty responsibility solo anymore. I am a dog person after all. So I put all the gifts under the tree and I put the kitty in the box. I went to the bedroom door and yelled, "Santa was here!" Everybody came out to the living room bleary eyed and yawning. As long as I live, I will never forget the look on that little girl's face when she opened the box and kitty poked up her head. Having the good fortune to see that look was worth staying up all night. Now the kitty had someone who loved her and would take care of her kitty needs. And the little girl had a kitty who loved her and would take care of her little girl needs. For the rest of December the kitty thought I liked it. After all, it was I who stayed up all night to ease her transition into our home. But after a week or so, the kitty learned where the real love would come and that I was only the the delivery person.