It was exactly three years ago on this date when we were boarding the Grand Princess cruise ship to finish off our very long year of travel. Knowing we'd be arriving back home on Christmas Eve we decided to skip putting up a Christmas tree.
Two years ago there was no tree because we were finishing up yet another big trip in December. Then last Christmas? We had the Wild West Gang, and with Mama Kate and four little kitties who would have too much fun with a tree, we skipped it yet again.
So this was going to be the year of the Christmas tree.
Until my three teeny tiny sick foster kitties showed up. Unfortunately two didn't make it, but one did. And this week I almost got a number two! A potential mama cat to adopt an in-need-of-a-mama baby. She was beautiful and sweet and loving. To me, at least.
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| Such a beauty! |
But to little Hans Solo? She hissed. And hissed. And swatted at him. And hissed again. Even with the gradual introduction techniques we found nothing but hissing and swatting. So our household went back to just the solo Hans Solo. And we had a holiday dilemma.
Christmas tree or no Christmas tree?
Well, the space where a tree should be right now has a little baby kitten who is exploring his own two room tent. (It's really two pop up pens I've connected together.)
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Let a kitten go camping or put up a Christmas tree?
It was an easy decision this year. |
After struggling to get healthy, little Hans Solo is on his way to being a big strong boy. He's already trying to find a way to make a prison break.
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So if I chew through these clips I can
get out, right? |
He runs from pen to pen, back and forth and back and forth. It's so exciting to see him get those little legs moving. When he can't run anymore, he picks a place to curl up - or spread out - and sleep.
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| Yes, I can sleep anywhere. No need to be jealous. |
Not surprisingly he even seems to think a lap is a good place to plant himself for a little nap, too.
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| Yawwnn... |
It's not all sleeping and running for him, either. Playing with toys? He's working on it.
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| Learning to balance on my back legs is hard! |
Even without a cat mama and just a human mama, he's learning to clean himself.
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| Remind me what I'm supposed to do with my tongue? |
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| Clean the blanket? No? |
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| I remember now. I'm supposed to clean myself! |
From where he started to where he is now, this foster parent couldn't be more proud of him.
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| I, Hans Solo, designate today as Show-Off-My-Belly Day. |
I'm happy to say he's the only Christmas decoration I need.
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I definitely deserve to be someone's present this year.
Tree or no tree. |