Crafts and Pets

We lost our beloved 16-year-old Tigger a month ago. He was the only cat I've had in my 73 years on this earth who totally left my yarn alone. Unbelievable.

We have toyed with the idea of a replacement for him. We are having pet-withdrawal symptoms. At first we said we'd wait until after Easter. Out here in Vegas, to adopt from a shelter, most pets cost $100 to $200 because you need to pay for the spaying or neutering they've done, plus their shots. It varies, too, with whether or not they needed medical attention.

Anyhow, now we're down to "maybe after Christmas." But we know we can't afford to adopt that way. In the past, our pets have always "just fallen into our laps." We're going to leave it at that.

Back to pets and crafts. We had one calico who loved it when I made a crocheted chain. She'd pull and tug and chew and try to unravel it. That was all well and good until she began getting frustrated and pulled so hard it was as though she was extreme-flossing. Her gums would bleed. I had to take the chain away from her.

Another one I had was absolutely unable to resist a ball of yarn. I do not want to go into the mess that caused. And if I should be working on a flat surface, say with plastic canvas, guaranteed she'd flop on top of the project and just stare me down, daring me to remove her.

Fur is another issue. They all have it. Some shed more than others. I have learned to protect any project I'm working on. No matter how much someone loves me or loves something I've hand-made for them, they draw the line at having an inch-thick layer of feline fur adorning the project.

I'm looking forward to one day having another pet, but right now, it is a sort of relief to know I do not have to worry about a stray cat hair being attracted to a stitch or two in my work.