The Great Pet Experiment

Snoopy went home.  :(

Our friends returned from their trip, and we were forced to give them their cat back.  We enjoyed our time with Snoopy while she was here, but it seemed like we did a lot of lazing around.  She likes to lie around the house and we like to lie around with her, so it turned out that we did a lot of lying around for ten days.  Do cats make people lazy?  I think I can say with certainty that cats make me lazy.

We learned you can't make a cat do anything it doesn't want to do, which made it all the more special when she decided to curl up with us.

It seemed like Matthew was the only one who kept busy.  Snoopy was fascinated with Lego building at times.

I, however, just wanted to cuddle with her.

So did Elizabeth.

Snuggling with Elizabeth and Snoopy at the same time--perfect!

I thought Elizabeth would be the most excited about the cat, but Matthew went to pet and play with Snoopy more often and he's the one who said, "Mommy, can we get a cat?"  I was also surprised that Brian got so attached to her.  We weren't sure when Kathy would come to pick her up, but Brian finished working in the laundry room that day and said, "When's Kathy coming?  Can I take a shower?"  Awwww.  He wanted to make sure he'd have a chance to say goodbye.  How sweet is that?

As for me, I'm not going to lie.  It was sad going to bed that night without her purring.  I found her purrs very soothing and calming.  She's a very affectionate cat who liked to be around us, and there were a few spurts during the day when she was playful.  We miss her companionship already.  And you know what?  There wasn't hair everywhere.  Occasionally we'd find a clump, but that was easy to pick up and throw away.  It's not like I had to vacuum the floors and couches every day.  The litter box wasn't that big of a deal either, and she didn't have front claws so nothing was scratched.  So...we are considering getting a cat.  There's a lady at school who rescues them so maybe next time there are kittens in her office one will be just right for us.  I don't know though.  It's a big responsibility, and is it pessimistic to think about the possibility of it having or developing health problems?  That would be heartbreaking, and it could be expensive.  All I can say for now is, we'll see.