We're getting a cat. Two, actually.
Berta's sister Maryann took in a pregnant stray cat and fed it back to health. Of the litter, only two kittens survived, and we'll be venturing out in early February to collect them and bring them back to their new home with us. Of course the kids are excited, and we spent a good deal of time at the pet store today buying supplies for them.
Unlike the last time I had kittens, when I could barely afford the single vet bill, we actually have money to spend on non-necessities with these kitties. We ended up getting some pretty crazy stuff rather than the usual items.
For example, we got one of those automated litterbox things. You put clumping litter into it and it scoops it into a receptacle that you can dispose of later. This is nice because I am really not keep in digging around in cat excreta every day like when Beta was pregnant. Sure, I don't expect it to work perfectly, but it seems to do the job for one of our friends, so hopefully it'll work at least that well for us.
Also on the list of crazy stuff is the waterfall water dish. It's a water dish that has a pump in it so that the water falls through the air and lands in the dish. Apart from being completely over-the-top, this actually aerates the water, keeping it fresher. And according to the stylish box under the large price tag, cats really enjoy fresh water more than stagnant water.
We also got a bunch of kitty toys. The kids picked out some, mostly that they liked to play with, and Berta and I picked a couple that we knew the cats would enjoy, based on our previous cat experience.
We got a nice foldable soft carrier for the transport of the kitties. We used to have two big plastic ones, but we got rid of those when we moved. The soft one will be nicer because it takes up less space when folded.
The kittens will be treated to soft cat beds that they will not every use, just like all of the other cat beds we've ever bought.
Anyway, on to the important part...
We got all the stuff out to the car and loaded the kids in and started talking about what to name the two male kittens. Abby's immediate response to the question was "Phobos and Deimos".
So I guess that settles that.
Wow, kitties!
Our cats actually use their beds. We got them both a bed and they seem to absolutely love them.
I totally want an automated litterbox. Maybe once we move into the new place...
Your daughter is awesome for suggesting those names.
A friend of mine just yesterday linked to this litter box, which I'm considering. I think the mechanical litter box would scare our cats. Likewise, the waterfall bowl would be too terrifying to our timid felines.
Excellent choice of names! My compliments to Abby!
Good thinking on getting the automatic litter box early. My parents got one when their cat was a kitten and he's never had a problem with it. I tried to get our cats on one when my wife got pregnant and they rejected it.
I am anxious to see if the cats take to the robot toilet and their new names. It'll be interesting teaching them to come when called, like we did with my other kittens. We'll see in a couple of weeks.
Awesome. When reading this, I was going "Ha, I know exactly what he means" every second line.
And, cool names, really. Mad props et al. :)
Only one week left to kitty time! We've got only a few things left to do to prep the house, and not much time to do it. Hopefully we're ready in time.