The Children Meet My Cat

 

Stitch waited for the toddler to snooze, then curled up next to him.

When I first met the boys I was nervous but my fiancé, Kevin, and I decided that an introduction at a fun place like the park might be a good idea. We had fun and the transition of becoming “Daddy’s girlfriend” went pretty smooth. We all got along right away and by continuing to visit and do fun things together, we were all able to accept each other.

However, when it became apparent that I was about to get into a serious relationship with a man that had children, I started to worry a bit for Stitch. I have no idea what Stitch’s life was like before me. As mentioned in my last post, Stitch is a rather independent cat. He doesn’t enjoy being picked up, and he will squirm and meow and bolt out of your arms if you dare try to do so. So naturally I became worried that moving from the calm household of my sister and I to a busy one with three children might be a bit stressful for him.

Kevin and I decided we ought to bring the boys over to my place more often so they could meet Stitch, and so it wouldn’t be such a surprise to Stitch who they were. I tried to tell him and explain to him that we would be moving in with them, but I don’t think he believed me. He walked around with this “I guess I’ll tolerate this for you” aloofness. And then we all moved in together.

At first he was not a happy cat. The two younger boys really wanted to give Stitch hugs now and then. We made sure to explain that hugging Stitch just wasn’t a good idea and gentle pats would be best. He also was not pleased that he was kicked out of the room at night. But within a couple of weeks, Stitch reluctantly accepted (I like to think at least) that this was just how life would be for now.

It’s been about a year later and although Stitch still does not enjoy being picked up, he is much more accepting of the boys. He lets them pet him, and will even walk up to them once in a while for a scratch behind the ear. I secretly think he enjoys having them around for all the added benefits of living with more people (more people to play with him, more people to get scratches from, etc.)

As proof, I caught him snoozing with our toddler just this afternoon. I watched it happen so I know that Stitch waited for him to fall asleep before curling up next to him. But the fact of the matter is that he trusted him enough to fall asleep near him. Now isn’t that just precious?

Click here to read more Cat Blogs.