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Blogs by Helen C. Downey
Lessions to be learned 1/17/2007 2:26:28 AM
We learn the strangest lessons sometimes, whether human or animal.
Time slips by before we have time to scratch our heads in wonder. Where did the Christmas Holiday escape to? I frankly can’t remember much of it or what I did except to decorate and redecorate. Having two five month old kittens is worse than having two year old toddlers. I couldn’t understand why the Christmas tree was being under attack when I left for work. Logical deduction told me that the kittens were upset because mother had left them with dad. He paid minimal attention to them so they had to be self entertained any way they could.
Upon coming home from work I was in a state of shock to see broken pieces of gold, silver and white glass all over the family room and led in to the kitchen. I immediately knew who the bad guys were and amazed at the fact there were no bloody little paw prints anywhere. It was surprising to see how far the kittens had actually carried the glass bulbs. I visualized them hanging from the round and oblong bulbs and swinging back and forth until the bulb sprung from it’s clip and landed both the kitten and its self on the soft carpeted area. They must have had a blast since one fourth of the tree was unadorned.
I screamed and yelled and sent them to their room. Cleaned up the mess and reprimanded the father figure. He was told to keep the kittens in their room until I got home. It was apparent that father had let his children out at night. When he was asked about it the father figure claimed he couldn’t imprison the poor babies. Vehemently I reminded him of the rules.
The next morning when I returned home from work the scenario was the same. Now there were 2/3’rds of the tree undone. That was it. The kittens were now forbidden to come out of their room until after Christmas festivities were completed. New bulbs had to be obtained to replace the broken ones and the tree and to be redone.
Two weeks had gone by while the kittens survived in their room. They lived as if kings. The room was 16 X 20 feet. Gee, what more could they ask for. They were provided with two different types of food, water and a litter box. Human contact was ritually done three times a day but they had to stay in their room.
Release of the "prisoners" was a gradual thing. They did not bother the tree after their release. No ornaments adorned the tree. I realized that it was my fault. For months they had a toy ball hung by a shoe string in the same room as the Christmas tree. I never gave it a thought that the decorations were mostly round glass balls.
