Things I'm learning in Uganda #9 - nothing can stop a male cat who smells a female in heat

                When we got our kitty over a year ago, we decided we would have her fixed when she got a little older.  Somehow, it never made it to the top of our priority list, and I naively assumed that our ten foot concrete wall, barbed wire, and ferocious dog who does not like other animals invading her territory would make it impossible for a male cat to have access to our kitty.

                A few weeks ago, we came home to find kitty wailing and crouched down close to the ground.  She didn’t move at all, even when our dog Daisy came near (the two usually spit, hiss, and growl at each other until kitty runs away).  I literally thought she was dying.  Turns out she was just in heat.

               Soon we began to see a male cat hanging around.  As we found out, our wall, barbed wire, and dog were not enough to deter a determined male cat.

         So now we have a very pregnant kitty, and we are expecting kittens sometime in early November.  Natalie is thrilled.

Natalie showing off kitty's big tummy

        And kitty's pregnancy hormones have completely changed the personality of our cat.  Our cat used to be certifiably insane, as I wrote about in a previous blog.  She was definitely NOT a lap cat, and would only sit still for about 10 seconds until she would start to attack our hands that were attempting to pet her.  Now, she has become an overly affectionate cat.  She follows us everywhere, and as soon as I sit down she immediately jumps in my lap and starts purring.  She and Nathan even fight over my lap space, with kitty jumping up and trying to find some extra space on my lap while I’m holding Nathan.  The other day after I put Nathan to bed, I found her curled up right next to him.

Cuddling with Nathan