Cool Cat Cara

It didn't work out with the puppy, and the tadpoles didn't survive our absence to Kentucky. But I think we scored gold with this cat. Her name is Carabella, or Cara for short, although neither Mark nor I can ever remember her name short or not. We campaigned to change it when we got her, but the kids wouldn't hear of it, so Cara it is.

Cara was a freebie from Craigslist. Well, free except for the gas it took for the 3-hour round trip to pick her up. She's a torti Siamese, a beauty. Our trip home was cause to give me second thoughts--she clawed her way out of the cardboard carrier and shed another cat in the car as she wandered around begging for freedom.

And her first night here was certainly cause to give me third thoughts. We decided to keep her locked up in our room so she would not get lost in the house and forget where her kitty potty was. Apparently, she's nocturnal because she kept us up just about the entire night pacing circles--up on the bed, over our heads, down to the foot of the bed, off the bed, up on the bed, over our heads...

The next night we moved her to the guest quarters, and we had a much better night. Since then, she has had a chance to explore the house and is feeling very at home now. Home enough to have caught a little skink for us somewhere in the house while we were out today.

Gifts aside, what's really endeared her to us is her love of the game Fetch. We think she's part dog, which works out well since we'd really prefer a dog but don't want the responsibility of a pooch. The other day, Mark was sitting on the bed, and Cara jumped up, plopped her little green mouse beside him, and waited expectantly. Mark threw it for her. She bounded down, retrieved the mouse, brought it back to Mark, and the game of Fetch was born. The funny thing is that she prefers to play with Mark; although he won't admit it, I think she's growing on him.

She gets along with all of us, however, even the kids. Of course the kids love her right back. Perhaps my favorite thing about her is that her kitty potty doesn't smell. Strange but true. I might write a letter to Tidy Cats and credit them for it; maybe I'd get some kick-backs. Or at least a coupon for my next litter purchase.

Apparently red-eye fix doesn't work on a cat. Her blue eyes really are pretty, not creepy.