How Many is Too Many?

Now in that small cottage
lives Mrs. McTats,
all happy and cozy with her
twenty-five cats...
                              from Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats
                                                       by Alyssa Satin Capucelli
​       Last week, before the weather turned cold and rainy, I found a cat sitting in the sunshine on my front step. He (She?) came back the next day, too. This time, spending the sunshine grooming. I noticed one triangle ear and one ear not quite triangular anymore. Hmmm. It looked up and we locked eyes. Is that a purr, no just my imagination, I’m sure!
       You might remember that I have five cats. Four boys and one girl. I lured three of them in from the big bad outside. One is on permanent? loan from my younger daughter and one was given to us in a desperate rescue during a subzero snowy coldspell.
       I don’t feel like a crazy cat lady. I have limits. My husband and I have set up a no-cat zone in our house which includes our bedroom. I miss their warmth and comfy purring, but the hair became overwhelming.
       My older daughter, currently pet-free by the way, suggested that if I took in this cute, fluffy, well-groomed, sun-loving cat, I’d need a kennel license. Well, a quick check disproved that, but I will concede that laws vary by jurisdiction. I did not delve too carefully into my own.
       So we were eye-locked. Only a glass door stood between us. I slowly released the latch and inched the door open. My cat was off like a flash, tail barely keeping up with those sorta pointy, cute, little ears! This one’s an outside cat, for sure.
                                                                                                                                                      --stay curious!