The Twelve Days Of Christmas (Feline style)
On the first day of Christmas, my kitten ruined for me... A batch of my
special hand-print cookies. I had turned my back to grab the cookie sheet
sitting on the stove. In that micro-second, Sara climbed onto the table, poked
her paw into the delightfully kneady mixture and, suddenly off-balance, fell
into the cookie dough. Net loss? Six cups of flour, four cups of sugar, three
sticks of butter.... Of course, it would have been cheaper to remove the feline
ingredient, pick out the hairs, and just rename the recipe Paw Print Cookies.
On the second day of Christmas, my kitten accompanied me.... On a trip to the
vet clinic. Who knew that skinny curling ribbon has feline taste appeal? I
didn't. Damages: $28 for the office visit, $36 for anesthesia so the
veterinarian could take $55 X-rays in case Sara had taste-tested any other
Christmas decorations, and a heck of a lot of embarrassment when the vet removed
the 3' curly tail in slightly less than two seconds by tugging at it with a pair
of tweezers.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my kitten broke for me... A statue in my
Lenox Nativity. Would you believe two Wise men plus a head? Lenox nativity
figurines: $55.99
On the fifth day of Christmas, my kitten scratched for me... The kid across
the street who collects for charity. It was an accident. She merely wanted to
reach out and touch someone. Unfortunately, she used a unsheathed claw to do so.
I settled out-of-court for the cost of a jacket to replace the boy's blood
stained one and a hefty donation to the charity of their choice. Although the
amount must remain secret according to our settlement, let me put it this way.
You haven't seen many soldiers for the Salvation Army this year, have you?
Think: Major Windfall!
On the sixth day of Christmas, my kitten opened for me... I forget what, she
ate it so quickly. I do remember all the clean up afterwards though. Yuck!
On the seventh day of Christmas, my kitten lost for me... The earrings I
bought for my sister Mary. Actually, it was one earring but since Mary doesn't
have a hole in her nose or navel, a pair of matching earrings does make a more
appealing gift. Sale price: $29.95 plus tax.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my kitten helped me... Replace my E and G
guitar strings. Would you believe a kitten could fit into the itty-bitty hole in
the middle of my Yamaha guitar? Neither could I, but Sara thought so. And she
succeeded once she got those rascally strings out of the way. Unfortunately, her
little rear end couldn't get out the way it came in. After paying through the
whiskers for her previous escapades, I would have been willing to leave her in
the guitar for the duration of the holiday season, except that she chose to get
stuck two hours before I was due at the ursing home for our annual Christmas
carol sing-a-long. Set of steel guitar strings: $12.95; jar of petroleum jelly:
79 cents.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my kitten destroyed for me... My Christmas
card list when she walked across my computer's delete key. Cost for call to
Computer Country's 900/help line: $17.50. And I still don't know what happened
to the listings of B through H.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my kitten hid from me..... The remote control
from my 13-inch TV. This wouldn't be such a disaster if she hadn't previously
stolen the power knob. I missed a week's worth of Christmas specials, including
my all-time favorite, "It's a Wonderful Life." Rental of "It's a Wonderful
Life": $2; purchase of book, "Good owners, great cats": $24.95. Unfortunately,
it never mentions the psychological profile of kittens with kleptomania.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my kitten ate for me..... The drumsticks
off my 19-pound turkey. OK,OK, So this one time it was my fault. I knew I never
should have uttered those now infamous words: "Your first turkey, Sara. Want to
try just a little piece?" Cost: Christmas Dinner.
On the 12th day of Christmas........ Sara rested. And so, thank goodness, did
my VISA card.