And then we had a cat!

 I've never really been a cat person. There are barn cats on the farm, and my sister has cats, but growing up we always just had dogs. Still, I could appreciate kitten cuteness - even if adult cats still kind of puzzle me. I don't really speak cat. Yet.

When we moved to the farm, we quickly amassed a wonderful menagerie of animals. We had two dogs and a pig when we moved in - the pig was unplanned - and I vowed that we would get no more animals. That was another dog, another pig, and four bantams ago, not to mention the beloved's growing chicken farm, although they don't count as pets because they're a business. (Even if they have names and are extremely cuddly!)

Over the last year or so, cats started to come up in conversation from time to time. I was growing more enamoured with them and it seemed like our adorable cottage just had to have a contentedly purring cat curled up on a pillow in it somewhere.

Still, the beloved was fairly allergic to cats as a little boy, and we didn't really discuss it seriously until the mouse appeared. I'm pretty cool with the majority of critters - I enjoy spiders, I love snakes, and when a toad comes hopping into the house, I'm the one who scoops it up and takes it outside. But mice and rats? I can't. I turn into a shrieking, leaping, climbing, howling city slicker in 0.4 seconds flat. What was more, the mouse got into the flour, and then into our clothes, and that was the point where the beloved had had enough. We agreed that I could have a cat.

His eyes!

That is where Noah came in. And even though it'll be a long time before he's big enough to catch a mouse, we are nonetheless thoroughly in love.

His toe beans!!

Noah didn't come from an ideal situation, so we got him a little too young - he's around 6 weeks now. As a first-time kitten mom, the first day or so were pretty nerve-racking for me, but Noah has handled everything with absolute aplomb. He already comes over when he hears my voice, purrs anytime one of us strokes him, and - after a false start or two - uses his litterbox like he's been doing it all his life.

I expected adjusting to the dogs to be a little bit of a challenge. Our dogs have chased the barn cats, but they also coexist peacefully with my mom's house cat, so I knew they could do it. Still, they're not quite sure whether tiny Noah is a snack or a friend just yet. He has a crate for now where they can see and smell each other but Noah has hiding places and the dogs can't hurt him, and actually they've been making good progress.

As for the beloved, he was pretty adamant at first that this would be my cat and my problem. He was still leery of his allergies and didn't want too much to do with Noah... for about half an hour.

The beloved has the gentlest heart of anyone I know. He spent about ten minutes playing with Noah and a piece of ribbon, and now he's hooked. Actually, I think he spends more time with the kitten than I do, and is constantly sending people photos of "his" cat.

I'm still just a few days into kitty ownership, but so far, I love it. Noah is a ray of sunshine and such a happy little addition to our home. He spent an hour or two yesterday afternoon stretched out on my lap, fast asleep in the winter sunshine and purring up a storm every time I reached down to pet him in between my work. It was uniquely soothing.

Most of the time, obviously, he's still a tiny imp of destruction and chaos.

Welcome to the family, sweet little Noah kitty. You're so welcome here! 💜

God is good!