[Dailydrool] Baloo and the Kitties

[Ammosby]

Many people have asked me if Baloo has been sad since Mowgli left for the Bridge.  I have answered that I don't really know.  Baloo had never been without Mowgli.  But since Mowgli had gotten so aggressive with her at the end, I felt perhaps Baloo was relieved that at least that tension was gone.  Now Baloo could go on long walks (Mowgli was scared to go outside at the end)...and Baloo wasn't being hunted down.
 
So, I felt maybe Baloo was a bit quiet but generally ok.
 
Then two weeks ago along came my daughter with two, two-week old kittens (thrown into a wood-chipper, left to die).
 
Do I need two-week old kittens?  No....
 
Do I know anything about taking care of two-week old kittens?  No...
 
Did my daughter promptly take off for a 10-day leisurely vacation to Florida and leave me at home with two, two-week old kittens and Baloo?  She sure did (anyone with a 18-year old knows exactly the feeling).
 
How would Baloo react?  What would she do?  Suddenly my somewhat small Baloo looked like a giant clunky beast.  I was sure she was going to eat one...or squash one...and my daughter would come home to no kittens.  Worse...I was bleary-eyed from the three-hour bottle feedings that were required throughout the night while I still had to work 8-9 hour days.
 
But then I noticed something.  Baloo was getting perky again.  My almost 10-year old Baloo actually seemed to like the kittens.  She wanted to be near the kittens.  She was guarding them and kissing them and loving on them, albeit a bit clunkily, but nonetheless she was being sweet.

Suddenly she was playing too -- she was barking and lunging and jumping (yikes they are tiny), but she was happy.  

She helps clean their plate now that they are eating a bit of solid food (as written by Bev, I am sure this is not altogether altruistic)...and helps clean out the litter box (ditto and gross).

But she seems so much more like her old self.  So...maybe she was indeed sad that Mowgli was gone and I just didn't notice.

Best of all we ALL sleep together now.

Yep...all of us in one little room...and none of us on the same sleep schedule.  So I hear little pitter patters throughout the night and ups and downs and meows and Baloo shifting around...and feedings...but last night I awoke to the strangest sound.  I awoke to SILENCE.  I was scared to death.  There were no kittens sleeping on my head or neck as usual.  Surely the kittens had been squashed under a giant basset body!! I jumped out of the bed at 3:00 a.m., frantically turned on the light and what should my wondering eyes see.

On the ground....in Baloo's bed...gently nestled on top of those clunky paws, were two sound asleep kittens.  They were all snuggled together just like Mowgli & Baloo used to do.  Baloo hasn't looked that happy in a very long time.

Do I want kittens?  No.  Do I want Baloo to be happy again?  Yes.

Anne-Marie
 
 

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