Boyoyoyoiingg

We moved into this house almost a year ago.  Our old house was just that old, but it did have wood floors.  That was nice.  As a family who rescues animals (mostly of the feline persuasion), we were used to hearing the pitter patter of little paws down the hall and about the house.  It's always a playful sound. 

Our new house doesn't have wood floors.  It has industrial tile and some kind of space age carpeting.  No, I don't live in a subdivision near JPL or in a replica of Spacelab, but this new home doesn't have the coziness of my old wood floors either.  That said, you can still hear the pitter patter of little paws up and down the hall and all over the living room.

When we rescue kittens, it's usually kittens.  Not one…but almost always a handful.  This time we have an armful.  Thirteen to be exact.  All of them are sweet cats.  Some are full of beans and others are just laid back, but no matter which type at some point in the day they all just go nuts. 

I'll be sitting at my desk studying (I have one of those jobs where you study more after you graduate than before), and then the sounds begin.  It starts with that pitter patter I already talked about.  Then it's the rustle of an empty Wal-Mart bag that didn't quite make it into the recycling.  Following that is the sound of one of my wife's plastic hair clips sliding across the tile in the kitchen….and scrambling feet behind that.  There's the sound of a piano playing some random notes and the sound of sheet music hitting the piano bench and then the floor.  Then I hear the sound of a bumping cupboard door (a kitten some how got in, but now can't get out).  Of course the dog thinks there's someone at the front door and let's out a weak growl. 

Not long after that I hear the sound of little claws digging into my newly reupholstered sofa.  I respond with a, "eh, eh, eh, would'ya….ugggh! Damn cats!"  After that there's a couple pounces back onto the floor.  It gets quiet for a minute and then my favorite noise: Boyoyoyoiingg!

Boyoyoyoiingg is the sound the doorstops of our new house makes when the cats bite the rubber tip and lets go.  I don't know why I think that's so funny, but like the piano…when these kittens realize they can make some noise, they exploit their new found talent. 

So in a house with no television or radio (wife got rid of cable and a stray cat peed in my stereo…come on, we're not intellectuals or anything), there's still plenty of noise to be heard.  As much as I love boyoyoyoiingg, I lied; my favorite noise is when find the heard of kittens sleeping all together.  I walk up to them and start petting a couple on the head.  In just a few seconds nearly all of them begin to purr, filling the air with surround sound kitty happiness, and that's pretty cool.

I can't wait until next week.  They should all be adopted by then.  Please, God…find them homes.  Maybe I'll post pictures of them on our website, www.rescuehearts.org