Exhaustive Analysis of Critter Dynamics

Dear John,

 

 

I've had a busy day off. I took Abby for her check-up and first vaccines, got my hair cut, worked on finances, and cleared off my desk. Then I involuntarily fell asleep for over an hour in front of the television.

 

 

Abby is doing well. Her cold is better and her pink-eye is improving. And the little thing is growing! Last week she weighed 1.2 pounds and today she weighed 2.0. It's amazing how fast babies grow, nearly doubling her weight in a week. She was skin and bones when Jethro found her. Now she looks and feels like a normal kitten. She's been exploring and playing tonight, including some playing with Hunter that involves a great deal of batting and yowling, and appears to be enjoyed by all. It's good to see them playing together. Sometimes they lie in the two living room window sills and bat at each other across the separation between the windows.

 

 

June says she's old enough to be fed three times a day, so I won't have to take her to work with me. I'll feed her before I leave, when I come home, and at bedtime. She's doing well with going to the litter box when she needs to. And she's found some places to go when she wants to get away from Jethro and Hunter. The three of them are ready to be on their own for the day. I have to admit, it will be nice to work without a litter box on my desk. I just have to remember to bring home the can of cat food in the fridge.

 

 

Her arrival has altered the critter dynamic more than I expected. Hunter has become much cuddlier with me. He welcomes it whenever I come up to him and stroke or nuzzle him. I haven't seen his feline standoffishness since Abby came. And Jethro is acting much less needy. He still enjoys my lap and my attention, but he's not as demanding. Maybe, because his little family is bigger, he's getting love from more places. Maybe, for right now, he's more focused on loving than on being loved. He licks and grooms Abby at least twice a day, and her coat looks wonderful. Her fur and eye colors are still shifting, of course. But I think he's going to be a black-and-chestnut tiger. Her eyes are gold, but I kind of hope they'll end up green or blue. For now, getting rid of the pink-eye is enough!

 

 

Jethro continues to be remarkable. When I ask him where Abby is, he leads me right to her. And when I ask about Hunter, he leads me right to him. He must keep track of both of them, like a good older brother. Sometimes he is so German Shepherd - so gentle and protective and responsible. At other times, he's so neurotic. But that's our fault -  we made him that way, what with people coming and going so much around here.

 

 

Watching the three of them makes me happy. But sometimes I stop and wish so much that you were here to enjoy all of this. I'd love for us to be able to enjoy this together. But I can say that about anything, up to and including the apocalypse. When I'm sad I'm thinking about you, and how much I miss you. When I'm happy I think about you, and how much I wish I could share my happiness with you. It seems that I think about you a lot, doesn't it? Only with every breath I take. Your little family loves you. I think Abby has already heard stories about you from Jethro. I keep finding her curled up asleep in one of your bedroom slippers.

 

 

Love you, adore you,

Joan.