THE BLACK PEARL

March second, two thousand and ten at two forty-five in the afternoon saw the emergence of The Black Pearl (now affectionately known as Little Bitty).

It was one of those things where you ask yourself, “Is she or isn't she?” I've had cats all my life on and off. When I was young, I even had a cat who went into the neighbor's old, wooden shed that was part of their creepy garage. But it was 'the' spot the cat decided was good for her to birth her kitties. I didn't think it was so great. Wasn't there some spiders or possibly some snakes in there too? Somehow the kittens were brought over the yard line and into our household. They were given weird names and from that point on I have always given my cats names that others shake their heads at and comment upon its absurdity, but they had to relent in future, seeing that it was the purrfect name for that specific cat.

I now have a beautiful cat whose name is Kitty Lou Bensonhurst . . .  and that is another story.

She was supposedly abandoned as a tiny thing along with her siblings. My daughter's friend rescued them, and when I saw Kitty Lou I couldn't say no. She's as soft as a rabbit and has light blue eyes, beige body fur, and light grey-tipped ears. She's about two and a half years old and has a boyfriend. He loves to come around and sit on the window ledge and peer in adoringly trying to get a glance of his loved one. He's smitten. Can you be a smitten kitten? I digress. At any rate, my neighbor found her one day in flagrante delicto with the boyfriend in bright day light on his front porch. Thanks for being discreet, Miss Bensonhurst!

But it wasn't her time to get pregnant so they played cat and mouse (excuse my play of words) until MEOW !!!  I had to ask myself, “was she or wasn't she?” When she threw up on the rug I had a thought but vanished it. Then she began to eat and eat . . .  hmmm . . . and sleep a lot . . .  uh oh . . .  and be all lovey-dovey. I thought I better check the internet on cat pregnancy and how long it lasts.

OMG!

If my calculations were even remotely correct, I would be seeing some babies the next week!!!

But Kitty Lou wasn't very big and my friend said she thought that Kitty Lou should be bigger if she was near her due date. And I thought that maybe it meant she wasn't going to have but two kittens at the most. So I asked friends for empty boxes because the internet said you would need one for the birthing chamber and one to put the freshly licked kittens in along with a heating pad under some fresh towels.

March second came on a headache at four in the morning. One of those that last all day no matter what you do. If you could put your head in a vise and squeeze it until it all popped out, you know you would feel better and the pressure would be gone. So I stayed in bed all morning with my door closed so Kitty Lou couldn't jump up and startle my head back into more pain that I was trying desperately to pray into oblivion. Luckily, a friend had planned to come over that afternoon and at that moment when he came into the room to check on me, so did Kitty Lou. I thought she was being nurse-like, as cats can be, to make sure I was alright.

“Meow!”

“Yes, darling” as I petted her head in acknowledgment of her sweetness.

Her eyes were as big as saucers, and I thought it was because I had all the lights off for my pounding head.

“MEOW!”

“Yes, I know” as I continued to pet her head.

“REOAR!!!”

“OMG . . .  I think she's getting ready to have her kittens !” I exclaimed to my friend, lifting my poor aching head off my pillow.

“Go get some towels and the box !!” I ordered, ready to rock and roll.

Kitty Lou kept looking at me for help and all I could do was tell her she was “doing great” and soothe her by petting her. True to form, she wanted to bite me one time because of the pain and I thought of all the women who bit their husband's heads off while in labor yelling, “It's all your fault!” 

It was amazing to watch. Kitty Lou grunted just like a human when it was time to push. She meowed with fervor when the contractions made her stomach roll from her chest down to her . . . well, you know. And when her one, lone baby came out she knew just what to do without me telling her. The Black Pearl was evidence that the boyfriend had gotten lucky and Kitty Lou had gotten pregnant about 60 days prior. I'll have to check the calendar and see if it was a full moon because it had been a full moon during the night and I thought that was why I had the headache. But no.

Things happen for a reason, a friend of mine likes to say, and I'm beginning to see the light. Looking back, I had planned on being out of town on that day. But plans had changed because of my headache, so I was home instead. Also, I was supposed to have a massage the afternoon of the 2nd during that specific hour of the day. 

So there you have it!

Sometimes when you open an oyster you get a natural, white pearl and if you're really lucky, you get a black one.

I guess I got lucky.

Kitty Lou has stayed with that little critter from dawn to dusk. She's curled around it to keep it warm. But today Pearl is 5 days old and Kitty Lou meowed to go outside for the first time, so I let her. She better come back 'cause I don't know how to feed a newborn kitten, but I know I would step up to the plate and get kitty with it.

Puuuurrrrr.

© nancy 3.7.2010