I took my kitty to church . . .

It feels as though I have a fourth child.  The amount of care Clement (he's a boy, so it can't be Clementine) needs is almost equivalent to a child.  Granted, a child growing in fast forward, because this week we tried litter (potty) training.  It didn't go so well – more to follow shortly.

I warm kitten formula every two to three hours and bottle feed him.  He needs to be washed with warm cloths in stroking motions like a momma cat would do it.  When I do it, he purrs and it's lovely.

He's starting to interact with the kids.  Playing and biting (he's teething) and swatting at them.  They think it's hysterical.  He gets himself rolled over onto his back and then it's all four legs and his tail going in five different directions.  He snuggles into warm spots and get comfortable, usually causing giggles with the kids because he's made his way into an armpit.

We took him to church with us.  Smiling and laughing.  I'm thirty-six and I took my kitty to church.  It's funny, really it is.  I have never, ever, done this, ever in my life.  Nor did it ever cross my mind that I would ever do this.  But I did.  There's a reason.  He has to be fed frequently.  We attended church services and then planned to visit Jim's mom.  Knowing we were going to be out of the house for the better part of the day, I did not feel that leaving him home alone to get hungry was much of a choice.

So, I took my kitty to church.  I left him in the nursery in his little box, snugged in all nice.  Checked on him a few times and fed him just before services were over.  This meant that when everyone was dismissed I was holding him sleeping.  The looks on the kids' faces when they realized he was real was just the best.  Most of the kids, and a number of adults, had never seen so small a kitten.  It was really neat to be able to facilitate that for them.

Then we took him to see Jim's mom.  Oh, to see her face light up like it did.  Wonderful!  Truly wonderful.  She had pets as a child and so for her it was like going back to that place where she was with her parents and family and the memories were good.  My heart was set to smiling.

Litter (potty) training is going to be interesting.  Thanks to my mom for the pointers after the fact.  I tried to put Clement directly into the box we’d set up for litter purposes.  He promptly stuck his face in the litter and ate up a huge mouthful of clumping cat litter.  Like he hasn't got enough issues with regards to his bowels and bladder.  I have to rub his tummy and back to get him do his business and it's a process, I tell ya.  With the dietary changes that went on in the first two weeks, he's still adjusting.  Add in a tummy full of grits and we got ourselves a good time – not.  So there I was trying to pick grit out of his teeth and get a bottle of water ready for him to drink.  Clumping cat litter is almost like cement – a little bit of water and you've got a chunk of mess.

I have a feeling, that, if he continues to thrive, he's going to be a very big cat.  I keep telling Ryan, “be nice to your little brother.”  He just laughs.  I told him that Clement is going to remember how he's being treated and if it's not gentle and kind, he'll grow into a cranky kitty.  It seems to be working.  The girls just want to be little mommas.

I am so thankful for this little addition to our family.  He's certainly taking up space in my heart.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to teach my kids that little bit extra in terms of compassion and gentleness.