Dear Reader Column 03-30-11

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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life

Dear Reader,

I don't think of myself as a sexist person, but maybe I need to revisit that assessment, at least when it comes to cats. Papa and Mama Cat are two outdoor strays my husband and I adopted a couple of years ago. Mama Cat used to stay close to home, Papa Cat did his share of wandering and that arrangement never bothered me. But lately I've been noticing a role reversal. Now Papa Cat stays close to home, even wanders into our house for some extra love and attention, and Mama Cat is out all hours of the night--doing who knows what!

What the heck is she up to? That's what I've been wondering and the curiosity has gotten so bad I'm considering hiring a Kitty Private Eye to follow her. I know I could be overreacting; maybe this new mysterious behavior is simply because Mama's found a tasty all-you-can-eat late night fish fry. But then again, maybe she's been stepping out on me? Come to think of it, Mama's been looking too well fed and her coat has been looking pretty tidy for all this gallivanting around. Maybe there's another person who's been giving her treats on the side?

After listening to me pass judgment on Mama Cat, my husband pointed out it isn't like she has babies at home, and Mama can't get in "trouble." (She's fixed so there hasn't even been any need to give her "the talk.")

So what's the big deal? Why is this bothering me anyway? My husband's right. There are no career ties holding Mama back and no young children at home. Maybe I should just be proud of a fellow "sister" who hasn't let herself get caught up in the empty nest syndrome blues.

** It's blue, it's paperback, AND it's almost here! The paperback version of my book, MUFFINS AND MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (if disorderly) LIFE will be released April 5th. You can preorder a copy at your favorite online book seller, right now.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.MuffinsandMayhem.com

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Comments

[MG]

You are so cute!...and sweet to worry about your semi-wild cats. I've heard so many stories of cats with multiple families, and it makes sense really, a good survival skill. One friend told me that
her Siamese cat had a second home. When she divorced and moved, she informed the second family that she was leaving the cat in their care,
since she didn't think it would want to move. I remember a neighbor's cat trying repeatedly to get into their old apartment when they moved
across the hall to a bigger place...I wonder what they think...and what they think of us.

[LH]

Your column about Mama Cat really made me laugh, especially the part about hiring a Kitty Private Eye! My parents & I live in the same neighborhood and at various times have each fed the revolving door of homeless cats we seem to have. Babycakes was the name we gave one of the cats my parents fed. She was rather small & seem to have some “issues” – she wouldn’t let anyone pet her or even get close. She lived in the woods and would make the short trip across the street to my parents patio to eat a few times a day. My mother wanted “Kitty Cam” – a camera we could (in theory) attach to Babycakes that would let us see what she was doing while she was in the woods, or wherever she went. Once we thought about it we realized that maybe we didn’t really want to know what she was up to, that maybe “ignorance is bliss”.

I always enjoy your column & have enjoyed your book.

[DM]

I got a real chuckle out of your story about Mama Cat because we have a huge black cat who has been coming to our house for "snacks" for years. He even
now answers to "Blackie" although I have no idea what his name really is. He lives across the creek through the woods somewhere but we've never learned
who his family is or what they call him. My granddaughters love feeding Blackie but after all these years he is stll a little leery of us so we let him wind about our feet, feed him outside and let him go his way. Sometimes his folks go off for a long weekend and he is here several times a day for chow. I often have wondered about his folks thinking how fat he is even though they give him diet food!

[MW]

I love your emails! You are sooooooooooo funny. I am laughing out loud at work. I am sure my coworkers think I am going nuts in here. I just never know what to expect when I open your emails and I am always pleasantly surprised. I can always count on you to give me a really good laugh, teach me something, or touch my heart. Thanks for sharing your wonderful thoughts with us, Suzanne.