The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

I've never been particularly fond of cats. I had dogs growing up, we have a dog right now, and I greatly prefer their company to the feline variety.

Therefore, you can appreciate my recent confusion about the nine-week-old kitten in our house. Kaity brought her home last Wednesday and she's apparently won over the household, including Bo, our German Shepherd. I'm in the minority and the majority is ruling on this one.

It should be noted that I did technically agree to the cat, which I've named Phyllis. The details are still somewhat foggy – Kaity started bugging me more than month ago about getting a cat for the kids and I was stubbornly firm in my resistance. However, a few too many Thanksgiving cocktails weakened my reserve and I apparently agreed. Subsequent protests fell on deaf ears, and little Phyllis is now at home in our Ocheyedan abode.

She's certainly tiny. Phyllis can easily sit in the palm of my hand and I oftentimes can't find her when she's in the same room as me. This weekend I asked Kaity where the cat was, and she was two feet in front of me sitting on the push broom. I could have stepped on her and not known anything was awry.

Phyllis' miniature frame has us on high alert when she's around the kids. They're over the moon about their new pet, but a 2-year-old and 3-year-old don't necessarily have the gentlest touch. We've been doing a lot of reminding over the past week.

The biggest shocker has been Bo. She's no friend of cats and is always willing to go after any stray feline who wanders onto our yard. This summer she chased several up our trees and also received a scratch on her nose from one of them. We figured she'd hate Phyllis and be sour with jealously, but it seems she's just as happy about the new addition as Kaity and the kids. She's welcomed Phyllis with open paws and often frets over her like a worried mom. Bo is even sharing her water dish with the cat, which might just be fair trade from all the food she's swiped from her new friend's bowl.

I'm not as sold on Phyllis as everyone else, however. My aforementioned aversion to cats is pretty engrained at this point, and old habits die hard. Nonetheless, she is admittedly sweet and cute. I just really don't like dealing with the litter box and I wish she could go outside like the dog. I've dealt with other peoples' "business" enough these last few years thanks to the kids and I'm really not in the mood to handle more.

All that aside, I'll watch over little Phyllis like a hawk until she's big enough to navigate the hazards of our home by herself. I simply hope to peacefully coexist with this critter because she's got enough love coming from everyone else in my house. As long as she doesn't scratch up the furniture or ruin any of my belongings, we should get along swimmingly.

Nick Pedley is the news editor of The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly-Royal News.