Thith-Thith-Thith-Thith

Confused about the title? Nope, I have not all of a sudden discovered a lisp...Say the title quickly and loudly. What does it sound like? A HELICOPTER! Here is a YouTube you can play in the background while reading this post. It's TWELVE HOURS of helicopter sound effects, so you can really get into the spirit of Helicoptering:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOCCY63UOGQ - very confused as to why someone has 12 hours of helicopter sounds, but they would probably be confused as to why someone has a blog about cats and crocs. So, to each their own.

Today's post is all about how I became one of them. One of my most feared nightmares coming to fruition. I became a Helicopter Mother.  We ALLLLLLLL know those parents. The ones who constantly watch their children from the sidelines, or even worse joining in "to play" just to make sure they're being treated okay/adapting well to others. In my head, whether it was an animal parent or people parent, I would always think "They look like idiots. C'mon they'll figure it out, if not- great learning experience." Didn't have much respect for them. Two of the WORST offenders are easily my cousin and sister. Evidence presented below.

Making sure Tucker and Grits get along. 

Everything look normal here?

Thith-Thith-Thith-Thith

About a month ago I heard a saying, "make your words sweet, because you'll never know when you'll have to eat them." Well, I usually don't make my dissenting opinions sweet so now I am eating crow about helicopter parenting. Eating big ole heaps of it.

Being the Cool Aunt is so much different than the Cool Mom. I don't think the Cool Mom exists because everything I do makes me look like a chicken running after Amelia Bedelia with my head cut off. Granted, she is a 10 year old cat and *probably* knows more about catting around than I do, but I'm the human with thumbs so I have convinced myself that I know best.

AB thinking, "yeah right dummy."

Last week, when our dogs were gone, the house was quiet, and Amelia Bedelia had been in her new home over a week, I decided to bring her with me one morning when I got breakfast. She would be going downstairs for the first time since I brought her upstairs from Westcott Acres. It was a little nerve wracking. However, she seemed to enjoy it. She was sniffing, looking around, going into nooks and crannies (helping Grandmaw dust), having a ball, and just generally checking out her home. I tried to keep a very watchful eye on her, but I had just made breakfast so I transferred my attention to eating and not on her exact location for maybe 10 minutes. That's the saying, "it only takes a second." After I finished that last piece of chocolate chip pancake, Panic. Struck. I couldn't hear her and didn't see her. She's a little gal, only 7 pounds 2 ounces and blends very well into those very dark corners she had just been sniffing out. I went into full on chicken with my head cut off mode. I flew around the house looking for her, checked my room fully, checked the upstairs to make sure she hadn't gone back upstairs to her safe spots, and then anxiety really started kicking in.

Squawking around the house worrying sick about her, I quickly turned on my sister who had gone outside for a second to get the paper. I calmly (read insanely) questioned her about HOW LONG THE DOOR HAD BEEN OPEN, DID SHE LEAVE IT OPEN FOR ANY TIME WITHOUT WATCHING IT, AND COULD AMELIA BEDELIA HAVE SLIPPED OUT. Her answers did not pacify me so I got even MORE rattled. I was really worried about this scenario because AB does not have front claws so she could not defend herself against all the monsters that would certainly face her in our yard. Also, we do have a hawk that enjoys our yard. As I was about to go grab my BB gun, to make sure the hawk didn't snatch up my little Amelia, I noticed Grits.

Grits started nosing around our den sofa and meowing trying to get under it. My eagle ears heard him and I swooped in with a 14 foot wingspan. You know the stories of moms and dads lifting cars or performing exaggerated feats of strength to save their children? Well I lifted the sleeper sofa like it was a piece of dollhouse furniture to make sure she was there. I practically wept when I saw her sitting calmly on the heat duct. It was the most terrifying 10 minutes of my life. I was going to call 911 in a minute to get them to help me find her, or commit me for a mental breakdown.  I quickly nestled her back into my bed and we took a cat nap. It had been such a stressful morning, we both needed the calm down time.

Approximately 9:15 am after she was found.

So yes, I am a Helicopter Mom and PROUD OF IT!!!!!!!!!! I ain't never letting her go anywhere by herself again. My heart still hasn't recovered. She's now sitting on the heating pad I left for her on low heat in my bed while I'm sitting in class worrying that she isn't warm enough or have enough food/water. These are ridiculous concerns but....thith-thith-thith-thith-thith-thith-thith-thith

Cats Out,

Betsy and Amelia Bedelia

Full Hearts, Cats Eyes, Can't Lose

I never thought I could understand that Friday Night Lights mantra so fully ,as I now do, before December 26, 2015. That was the day I first laid my drowsy hazel eyes on Millie. It was the day after Christmas and my family was relaxing around a fire hanging out, and talking about the holidays. I was tired and sleepy, aimlessly looking around Facebook at people's holiday posts. I then happened upon Westcott Acres Luxury Pet Resort and Rescue's page.  I began following Westcott Acres n Facebook last Spring when we were thinking about boarding our dogs there. Unfortunately (for the dogs!), they did not have space, but I never unfollowed WA.

As I have been quite candid with throughout my blog, I love cats. LOVE them. However, as I am entering my late twenties, I have become less of "any kitten will do, gimme that kitten, I want a cat now" and more of a "I want a long haired dark or tabby cat, preferably female and not necessarily a kitten." I've really come to understand that the cat I choose (and that chooses me) will be with me for a good many years. You have to know what you want. You could say that I have matured. I knew what I wanted in a cat companion so while all the other offers for adoptable cats or kittens were HIGHLY tempting, I held out. Then as I was browsing Facebook for rescue cats (an activity I am EXTREMELY proficient in) on that fateful night, Westcott Acres put up this photo with the captions "Some of our rescues and boarders."

There was Millie. I quickly, with almost saliva running down my chin messaged them asking if she was a rescue or boarder, could she be adopted, and when could I come in? The answers? Yes she's a rescue, come in during these hours, and she has no pending adoption papers. I quickly planned my trip to Irmo... All unknown to my parents 😊😊 but with my sister (a good influence or bad influence depending on how you look at it). I met her casually in the cat room where she came right up to me (NOT Sara) and I fell in love.

Our First Photo, IN LOVE. 

My sister and I stayed in the Cat Room for almost an hour. The room was heaven. It reminded me of a time in Jackson Hole, WY when I was really deprived of cat attention and somehow convinced (actually I probably tricked her) my friend Caroline to visit the Cat Room at a local rescue there. 

I think Caroline actually dry heaved taking this photo

Similar setting and experiences except I did not have a connection with a cat in Jackson Hole despite trying very hard. When I saw Millie, I knew that she was going to be My First Cat. How she ended up at Westcott is sad but what a fairytail (hehe) ending.  She was from a loving household where her parents tragically went through a divorce. Her mom moved in with her brother but the brother did not want a cat in the house so he gave her two weeks to find a new home. She did not have my phone number and could not find anyone in two weeks so made the difficult decision to take her to the vet to have her euthanized. The vet , recognizing the fine specimen that she is,  decided to call Westcott Acres (thank goodness!) to see if they would take her in, and they did! I don't think her former mother was being cruel but had a very difficult decision to make.  Knowing that most people only want kittens/typically don't adopt senior cats, she did not want her to suffer in a pound before then being euthanized. I'm grateful she took her to the vet and Westcott rescued her. Millie is a senior cat at 10 years old which did give me a pause, but age is just a number! She certainly doesn't act it, and let's be honest...she could help me mature. 

I filled out the adoption papers, gave my three references, and was eagerly awaiting the news I could pick up Millie the next day when I found out that since I lived at home....they needed to talk to my parents or "my landlords". EEEEEK. My parents have been VERY candid about the fact that their Cat Days are over after Buster died (RIP). I was trying to go under the radar and show up with her on NYE, and argue "I can't take her back." Since that plan fizzled, I knew I would have to work a miracle. I wrote out a contract, I began begging my mom, I started crying, I spent some anxious hours in my room while she and my dad talked about it, and then the verdict came. While I would not ever declaw a cat, Millie was declawed as a kitten which became a huge plus for me since my parent's just had their living room furniture recovered and some new rugs put in. They wanted to make sure I was ready for the responsibility, knew how to slowly introduce her to the dogs and grits, and made sure I knew it was my cat....but it was A YES!!!!!!!!

On My WAY!!!

The next day was New Years Eve, I went and picked up my glorious, majestic beast and have taken over 1,000 photos and videos of her since! I will definitely be updating my blog more frequently especially telling stories of how she is doing with the dogs, Grits, and me. It's been such a wonderful experience. I could write a 20 page essay on our first week together, but for the sake of y'all's attention span I won't. 

Here she is helping me write, and edit today's post.

When Westcott allowed me to take Millie home, they said we would have a 2 week trial and if anything was wrong/didn't feel right/just didn't work out; no questions asked she could come back there. As. If. I'm more worried they're going to think we are TOO obsessed with each other (or more accurately, I am TOO obsessed with her) and want her back. I do love her name Millie but wanted a full name for her so I've settled on Amelia Bedelia Shrimp Casserole W, Millie for short. She's agreed on the name and you'll be hearing more from us! 

Millie's Mom Out, 

BetC 

PS--- Seriously. How BEAUTIFUL IS SHE?