A Narrow Escape

Today, I wanted to go show Debbie the newest ultrasound pictures. So, I got in the car and the kids came with me and I drove the fifty yards over there. But, on the way, I looked over and saw this black fluffy blob on the ground in the yard. I felt sick. We have a cat that looked suspiciously similar to that blob. And this wouldn't be the first time we've had a cat fall in the heat of battle. Add to that, the love that Ashton has for his cat Fluffy and it would have caused the Hun army to break down and sob at the sight! I didn't say anything. I didn't want to be the one to break it to him. The last time we had a cat die, Ashton found it in the front yard. He came running in and breathlessly sobbed, "Mommy, Airhead Thomas is being eaten by a ton of fire ants! We have to save him!" There was no saving him. He was dead long before he was found. We had a burial service for him in the backyard and Ashton cried and cried and went on for days about how much he loved that cat. The funny thing about it was it was Jenna's cat. All she said at the service was, "Bye, Airhead," and walked back into the house. So, knowing all this, I had to build up the nerve to say something to him because Fluffy is his cat. He came to our family at Christmas. It was his present from his Aunt Becca and everyday he spends hours petting and cuddling him. I've never seen a cat so patient! Ashton grabs him around the middle and smooshes his face in with a multitude of kisses and the whole time that cat is eating it up, purring like I've never heard a cat purr before.

At Debbie's, I called Randall and said, "I think we have a c-a-t that is d-e-a-d." Randall went out to look at it. Yep. Dead. Broken neck, covered in slobber. Dead. Okay. Well, I don't think we need any more cats since we apparently can't keep the neighbor's dog from killing them. Maybe we should move before we try to get another cat. Agreed. So, he sets to work burying the cat while I try to kill time so that the kids don't see it. So, after waiting awhile, we come back home. But, little did I know, it takes a long time to dig a hole to bury a cat in and he wasn't done, yet. So this dead cat is in the front yard and I went to the back to talk to Randall. The kids get out of the car and go straight out front. Debbie was up here and Ashton says to her, "What's that? It looks like Fluffy!" She tries to avoid the on slot tears, too and tells him it's nothing and to just leave it alone. Ashton then goes into the garage and starts looking for Fluffy, because that's where he lives and usually stays even with the door wide open. At that moment, Randall goes and gets the cat with the shovel and rather than quickly burying it, he walks over to the neighbor's dog, which is now in the yard and tries to get the dog to come to him to check her out to see if she was the murderer. Ashton comes out of the garage and says, "I can't find Fluffy! Where is he?" Randall throws the cat filled shovel into the bushes and tries to look all innocent. Then he looks at Ash and says, "Buddy, I've got some bad news…Fluffy is dead." Ashton completely falls apart. Randall picks him up and tries to console him, but there is no end to the tears. Everyone is gathered around trying to help lessen the blow when I hear "Meow". And I think that sounded like Fluffy! I look over and there he is, head peering around the corner looking at us like Dead? Who's Dead? What are you guys blubbering on about?

After further examination, it was actually a much bigger cat that we assume must have been feral because it was just covered in ticks. Although, it did look like it was the neighbor's dog that killed it. But, at least, Fluffy lives to fight another day.