I’m a Muffin Mom…….You’re a Whaaaat?

 

Chapter 2 – The Road Home

Submitted by: Lucile Gordon Press, Columbia, Maryland

 

Like any new mother, I carefully carried my precious cargo out of the show hall in Gettysburg, PA, walked to my car and put the carrier in the back seat using the seat belt to secure it. If traffic permitted, we would have about an hour and forty-five minute drive home. I managed to get to the highway before the mewing started. I turned the radio on and switched to a station playing soft music while assuring Tavi “it’s alright, we’ll be home soon”. I guess I didn’t sound very convincing because the mewing increased in frequency and volume. It wasn’t long before he worked himself up into a full wail and nothing I said sounded at all comforting to him. He kept wailing and I mean crying his little heart out. I was uncertain what to do … I can’t take him out of the carrier … what if we had an accident … I can’t stop the car on the side of the highway … I momentarily considered returning to Gettysburg because I was afraid he’d make himself sick with all this crying. I was beginning to feel like a criminal for taking him away from his familiar surroundings!

Eventually the wailing ceased but the mewing was a constant. Finally, about 10 minutes from home there was quiet. I thought he had worn himself out and had gone to sleep. Not true … he was just catching his breath for another onslaught of anguish mixed with fear of the unknown. Why wouldn’t this stranger let him out?

Let me set the stage for you here. I live in a high rise building on the ninth floor of a retirement community. The garage elevator goes to a beautiful lobby complete with koi pond and lots of little old ladies and gentleman gathered in small groups near the library, café, and security desk. There is no direct elevator access up to the ninth floor from the garage. Picture me carrying a small pet carrier into our lobby with a wailing kitten inside … you can well imagine what happened. As if I wasn’t already feeling awful I now had to assure all these well-meaning elderly folks that everything was alright. I nipped into the elevator and we rose to the floor where I live and walked down the hall to our apartment.

Tavi’s new big brother, Levi, met us at the door and was immediately concerned about all the noise coming from the carrier. I was advised to place Tavi in a small bathroom to let him get acclimated to his new surroundings, new smells, find his new litter box, water dish, toys, new bed, so he could bond with me. I closed the door to Levi, opened the carrier and Tavi crept out keeping a wary eye on me. He stopped crying and spent some time checking things out. I sat on the floor with him and shortly he was in my lap purring. Now the noise was coming from the other side of the door! Levi was anxious to meet his little brother and make sure he was alright.

The breeder had advised me to keep them separate for about a week so I couldn’t let Levi into the bathroom. I got up and quickly left the bathroom leaving the light on. Levi would not leave the bathroom door and now he was voicing his concerns. Oh my word, what’s a mother to do? Two crying cats!!!  

Stay tuned … Chapter 3 – ‘When the Show Bug Bit’