My cat taught me how to be a good mom

My cat taught me how to be a good mom

By Deborah(ˈdeb(ə)rə) Troop(tro͞op)

Polly was a small plain black cat who came to live with me on a farm deep in the countryside of County(ˈkoun(t)ē) Wexford(ˈweksfərd), Ireland(ˈī(ə)rlənd). The house, being more than 400 years old, was full of mice(mīs). Polly turned out to be a great hunter(ˈhən(t)ər) and did her job well. She proudly showed me her kills, meowing(mēˈou) loudly as she brought them into the kitchen and laid(lād) them at my feet. Very soon after she arrived(əˈrīv), the mice were gone. Even though she was more or less feral(ˈferəl,ˈfi(ə)rəl), we became firm(fərm) friends.

Polly had her first litter(ˈlidər) of kittens(ˈkitn) about the same time I had my baby Katie(kādi). Polly was a natural mother and accepted the bed I had made for her under the kitchen table. Unlike me, she purred(pər) loudly as she gave birth. Instinctively(inzˈtiNG(k)tivlē, inˈstiNG(k)tivlē), she knew exactly how to look after each kitten as she pushed it out. She cleaned each baby all over with her vigorous(ˈvig(ə)rəs) tongue(təNG), giving it life and breath(brēT͟H). She knew to let the little blind(blīnd) creature(ˈkrēCHər) find its way to her teats(tēt) for nourishment(ˈnə-riSH-,ˈnəriSHmənt). After hours of birthing(ˈbərTHiNG), she lay(lā) down with her babies, purring(pər) all the while, letting them suckle(ˈsəkəl) her endlessly with her claws(klô) gently massaging(məˈsäZH, məˈsäj) their little bodies. Tirelessly(ˈtī(ə)rləslē), she licked(lik) their tiny(ˈtīnē) bottoms(ˈbädəm) clean. This went on for days on end. Polly guarded(ˈɡärdəd) her kittens fiercely(ˈfirslē) and didn’t like to leave them, only doing so to eat a quick meal(mēl) or relieve(rəˈlēv) herself in a discreet(disˈkrēt) spot(spät) outside.

Cats like Polly were nothing more than kitten factories(ˈfakt(ə)rē). She usually had two litters of five kits each a year, in the spring and autumn. One year she had an extra(ˈekstrə) brood(bro͞od) during the summer.

Polly and I, in essence(ˈesəns), were mothers together.

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