More of Mim (Even though there's less of her)

She's a wonderful cat, full of spunk, love and curiosity.  I'm sure glad we spent the money to amputate her arm and keep her around!  Every morning when I get up, she runs to her food dish, expecting me to stand there and watch her eat.  If I take even one step over to turn the tea kettle on, she thinks I'm leaving and stops eating.  When I'm not the first one up, she still waits outside my room for me to watch her eat.  Tell me I'm not the only cat owner whose cat insists that they watch him or her eat.  Anyone else have a cat like that?

After that, she's revved up and ready to play!  A missing front leg has done very little to slow her down.  I don't think she'll ever catch another mouse or lizard-and not because she doesn't go outside much-but because she can't sneak up on anyone or anything with her limping hop movement.  As we sit on the couch, kids on the floor, reading from our Bibles, she's running around looking for the next thing to attack.  It might be the foot of an unsuspecting, trustworthy child, or a dangling robe tie, or sometimes nothing at all.  If we fail to interact with her enough, she'll entertain herself-sitting on a dining table chair, she'll pretend there are things through the rails to grab, or run around in circles chasing her tail.  Sometimes I'll get a ruler and run it along the back side of the rails and she'll poke her paw through each rail trying to get it.  She waits at the end of the couch, hiding and ready to pounce on the next unsuspecting passer-by.

What I enjoy about this process is seeing her former personality shine through.  It confirms for me that we did the right thing, that she still had plenty of life in her and a desire to live after her electrocution.  I'm grateful to God that my husband acquiesced his original position that we not spend that much money on an animal.  He's glad we did it too, and says so often..  In the short time in the morning when I'm awake before my kids, sitting on the couch to read, she comes along waiting to attack something up there.  Her eyes are amazing!  The pupils will be narrow slits while she just sits there, but I know when she's ready to attack because the pupils enlarge and the BAM!  That one good leg, with claws out, is reaching for my hand!

Like most cats, she spends the rest of the day lounging.  If she sees me go to the kitchen, sometimes she'll run in to get a safe bite to eat.  We've gotten to a point where we let her go outside for short periods on her own.  She prefers the dirt outside to the litter in her box, and we prefer the smell stay out there too, so we just make a mental note that she's outside and usually she comes back to the sliding glass door to let us know she's ready to come in.

Most nights she cuddles on the couch with us while we read or watch our current favorite TV series on Netflix.  She aims for one more chance to eat while I'm in the kitchen, and then curls up on the bed with us.  I used to be careful not to bump her when I moved, but then realized that she doesn't care if I do-she'll just come right back and plop down wherever she pleases.  Sometimes she ventures away and sleeps with one of the kids, and they always love waking up and seeing her on their bed!

This past weekend, we were gone a lot and I think she missed us.  Every chance she had, she was curled up right next to me.  She brings us great joy, amusement and entertainment, so glad we still have her!