Earlier today, I received a call from a really nice man who had just lost his older cat last week. He was looking for two kittens-females but they couldn’t be orange because that was the color of his cat who had just died. He was on the phone with me for quite awhile. He was quite charming and talkative and it turned out he only lives 25 minutes from our place (driving time). When I told him that I had two female kittens 8 months old and they weren’t orange- one black and one tortie, he got so excited and asked me to please bring them up so I could see the house and meet the family.

I was so happy that someone would adopt a black kitty (Ashley) and our lovely Molly girl. I scooped both kitties up and off we went.

It was a beautiful, modest ranch home on a few acres out in a rural area. The dad and his son met me at the truck and helped to carry in the carriers for me. We went into a small utility room and I let both the kittens out to meet and greet. Ashley slid under a small organizer, but Molly hopped right up on the man’s lap and did her charming “will you adopt me” bit. She was selling it for all she was worth. The son had made friends with Ashley and we were just talking about the cats and their history., when the mom came into the room to join us.

She looked around and spotted the cats and said “What are you doing? I told you I wanted a kitten.” No one said anything to her, so I said, “they are kittens.” to which she replied, “no they are NOT!” I want a kitten. No one replied and so I said, “Do you mind if I ask you why you want a kitten?” She said “Because I want one. I am entitled to want one, so if I want one, I want one.” Her voice was going in the mid-hysteria range at the time.

Her son and husband finally spoke up and expressed how much they wanted both of these kittens, and I  tried to explain that they are kittens until they reach three years old, then they are considered teenagers, at five they are adults and seven they enter the senior range. But she wants a kitten.  I told them that I don’t adopt any kitten until they are neutered and they get neutered at 2 months old. The look she gave me when I said that brought one word to my mind- withering.

I gathered up the girls put them back in their carriers, thanked the man for his time. The son helped to carry the cats back to the truck apologizing for his mom and saying he didn’t understand why she wanted a baby kitten.

I don’t know why she wants a baby kitten, but what I do know, even though the son and the husband asked me to call them if I do get young kittens in- she won’t get a baby kitten from me even after the neuter. She was quite abrupt and abrasive in her comments and it was crystal clear to me who wears the pants in that family. I would not feel comfortable knowing we had left a kitten of any age with her in the house.

Ash and Molly are asleep at my feet at the moment and I know there is another home for them, one better suited for their needs.