Hello Barn Kitten!
(How did you know that I find you absolutely irresistible?)
I really have a sickness for you–seriously, I do!
You see, I am allergic to felines, and nothing is harder for me then to hold off on scooping you up, and petting your fresh little kitten fur with the thick undercoat.
I love to play with you as you roll to your back and cling to my hand. I gently palm your little milk-filled belly, while you, open mouthed, try to bite at my hand…scratch, scratch.
Sometimes you are elusive, and I have to carefully approach you; crouching, chirping to you to try to make you see I am harmless and only out to love you. It is so helpful when your mother cat plays into my affections…
You see someday, you too, will learn to appreciate us humans the way your mother does. When you get big enough your mother will show you where the milk house is. You will venture in there, with your brothers and sisters in tow, and fight for a spot around the round, tin pan of warm milk. It will greet you at both ends of the day…quite a nice perk.
Since I was a little girl, climbing up in the haymow, jumping from bale to bale of fresh cut hay, I would try to sneak a glimpse of mother cat, darting up among the rafters. I would follow and watch, hoping that she would lead me right to you.
How I would watch and wait for your emergence into the light, creeping out from a dark nook with your bright little eyes, and high pitched mew…
I learned not to get too close too early, more than one mother cat up and hid you from me during the day or night when I didn’t have you under close surveillance.
As a grown woman, early in my career days as a dairy nutritionist I couldn’t help but pick you up while talking with my customers about dry matter intakes and bunk face management…so much for being professional!
And then, sneezing and wheezing, hives itching all over my hands where your little claws dug into me, I would drive away, pining to take one of you home.
Then there was the day that Farmer Bud gave me a mother cat and 3 tiger kittens…He said that every farmhouse needed caretakers of the property. I willingly agreed…maybe I was outgrowing my allergy?
Sneezing all the way home I called my folks, high pitched meows coming from the back seat, to tell my parents what I had received as a housewarming gift–needless to say, the mother and kittens had to stay out in the barn…and they grew and left the nest. But I did enjoy them while they were there…outside.
I may not be working with dairy farmers every day, or have a farmhouse out in the country now, but rest assured I have still managed to sniff out the kittens here in the village–I sneak over to visit them on my bike when I can. Sam, my youngest, has been quite embarrassed at my boldness to go over next to the neighbors house and grab one for my fix.
You can take me to the village but I will always have my ears perked for the faint little sound of life hidden and tucked somewhere safe…to be a cute little kitten nestled in, out of the reality of our world…for just a moment a sweet reminder about what being little is about…
Aaahhhhhh…..CHOO!!!
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