by GF McDade

Created on: September 03, 2009

I don't do mornings I never did. But now that I have a kitten, I'm forced to do mornings, reluctantly.

However, I must put it on record rather vociferously, that I don't appreciate being woken at 5:45am by a small bundle of fur who wants to play. And, when I show my extreme dissatisfaction with this nocturnal frolicking, she suddenly metamorphoses into Little Edward Scissorhands!

Ellie was welcomed into number fifteen, one of the many cats abandoned across the UK and Ireland every year. She was tiny when we first took her home, and a little shy, retreating behind sofas, eventually being coaxed out with the promise of food.

Now, she has grown and has settled in well to the point of demanding her meals at times which suit her, as well as the cat food flavours being appropriately rotated.

Ellie was litter-trained when we got her, so everything is deposited where it should be, which, I must admit was a concern at first. The downside, not that there are many, is the scratched and smarting arms with inch-long wafer thin cuts - all telltale signs of kitten adoption. These stinging cuts are all part and parcel of taking on a fluffy bundle. Not that I didn't already know this, as a lifelong cat lover, but when you acquire a kitten, you don't expect the claws to be so sharp, or the bite so razor-like. Or indeed the pounce so fast and so violent.

The house has been fully kitten-proofed: all window blind cords are tied up, just in case she wants to hang herself, and all crevices which prove curious to a newborn are blocked off. That said, the Playstation has already been manhandled by Ellie and CD inlays and concert tickets are now dogeared after bring chewed. Ellie also has a talent for walking over my laptop at the most inappropriate times, leaving a trail of incoherent lettering behind. She also has a remarkable ability to switch on the gas fire using the remote control. I'm also mindful of the fact I must now check appliances such as the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher for aforementioned kitten prior to switching on. People have a responsibility to look after their pets and that means neutering and spaying. Ellie, who is an indoor cat, has just got her first injection, which I'm thankful to say was trouble-free.

Previously I liked to admire people's pets from afar, avoiding the responsibility. They definitely fill your day but be prepared to have your television viewing interrupted, your favourite books left unfinished and a major pile-up of ironing on the 'to do' list. It's common knowledge that looking after a kitten, or indeed any animal for that matter, is hard work and requires time and commitment. That's not to say I feel I've made a mistake - I have specifically made more time and sacrifices and developed a higher tolerance threshold. And, she's had more money spent on her than your average baby. It's all good at number 15.

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