Over the years I’ve found that it’s best not to ask permission. Just wait and see what happens.

Having an escape plan is not a bad idea either. Really I apply this philosophy to just about everything, but here specifically I am talking about adding animals to our farm, either livestock or pets. Specifically with this post——-additional house cats. We currently have three main house cats and one apathetic barn cat. Thelma (an overtly fluffy tiger lady) who I was given at the county dump. The dump men saw I had a pig in the pen in the bed of my pickup and they said that I looked like an animal person (in truth I was taking the pig to be butchered for a pig roast, but they didn’t need to know that). And yes, someone had thrown Thelma and her litter mate sister away in a box! They were way too young to be taken from their mom, and they were only discovered in the trash heap because someone heard their mewings. So I took both kitties.

Trouble (who was Thelma’s sister), because she insisted on peeing on all of my older daughter’s things (including my older daughter), became an outdoor cat………while fastidious Thelma was allowed to stay inside. Now, Archimedes and Sam are two litter-mate brothers and are a hoot. 3/4 Burmese and 1/4 Bengal. They are articulate, comedic, thorough klutzes, and Velcro kitties. They have a lot of dog qualities. The boys love being the center of attention. I swear with a little bit of effort they could be taught to fetch a ball. Well, the eccentric woman I got them from has more! She is trying to create a new breed called “Pumas”. I need more. I know if I ask if I can get another kitty———there will be a whole-hearted NO. I know the tone. I know the jaw-set. I can visualize the concerned furrows of mature-sage consternation across his brow along with secondary disappointment at my unresolved “animal issues”.

So instead I will rely, and count on——— “the-scurrying-of-new-kitties-being-hard-to-get-together-at-any-one-time-to-be-able-to-count” game-plan……….it’s worked with horses in the past, for a little while anyway——I’ve found my husband has a hard time seeing the difference between similar bays or chestnuts. Plus the horses keep moving so it’s hard to get a total count easily. It’s worked well with Irish Wolfhounds too. After stepping over five sleeping hounds in a cramped hallway like a fuzzy mosaic blocking your way to the bathroom……….what’s number six or even number seven added into the mix? They all become a fluffy blur. I’m hoping for the Wolfhound-Sum-Total-Enigma to apply to the house kitty population. And then after the new kitty is here, then I’ll apply my husband’s legal phrasing against him………”possession is nine tenths of the law”. I really like that one. I’ve employed its use many times in the past.

Next Monday I go on my pilgrimage down to crazy-Marge’s for my baby feline fix. Wish me luck. Actually let me share a story of a couple summers ago where I employed the: “That’s not a new horse! She’s been there all along” excuse……..with a twist. You see Paolo went to a conference-thingie and I was planning on going to a symposium-what-not right afterwards with only one afternoon that over-lapped with us both being home at the same time. So while he was doing his thing in St. Augustine, I drove south and picked up Ruby, our black Clydesdale. We already have Violet, our bay Clyde. I pushed Ruby into the pasture with “the rest” of the girls and hoped for the best. Paul came home, saw them at a distance, said nothing. I talked about something else for a diversion and then prudently left early for my symposium-do-da in Orlando……………I got a call later. I ducked said call………I got multiple repeat calls. When the tone of the messages softened, then (and only then) I picked up on my cell phone between lectures (“Only five minute breaks, honey, gotta go, yes her name is Ruby, isn’t she pretty? Gotta run….call you later”). Well it really wasn’t a smooth addition. But Ruby’s still here along with Violet——–I now have an un-matched Clydesdale team! TA! DA!