Then
NowToday is Happy Gus Day! Two years ago (in a few more hours) Nick and I were crouched down in front of a vacant house trying to coax a stray kitten out from under a porch. To fully appreciate how momentous an occasion Happy Gus Day is, I should start at the beginning.
Day 1 - August 18, 2007
Nick and I were walking Roque out near a pretty main road. As we were walking, I heard the very distinct cry of a kitten. We walked towards the sound to see if we could find the source of the cry. We live in townhouses that are all connected and unfortunately, all the houses have porches and the kitten could move quite easily from house to house without being detected by people.
Day 2 - August 19, 2007
Again walking the dog...heard the kitten (around the same place as the night before), couldn't find the kitten. Came back to the house worried about the kitten.
Day 3 - August 20, 2007
Walking Roque, didn't hear the kitten where we have heard it each night before. Round the corner and here the kitten again. Nick takes Roque home so the 70 pound dog doesn't scare the little guy and comes back out to help me find the precious one. We search for quite a bit and walk through quite a few spider webs. Then I got my first glimpse of the kitten. He was orange and white. I announce this information to Nick and he immediately realizes that this means that this kitten will be eventually coming home with us. I have been telling Nick for quite sometime that I wanted an orange cat. However, tonight would not be the night the kitten comes home with me. He got scared of us and ran under another house and then we lost him. I went home and came back out with some food for the little guy. I put it where we last saw him and hoped he would come back and find it.
Day 4 - August 21, 2007
Hear the kitten again, tried to catch him, gosh they are fast, still no luck, put out more food.
Day 5 - August 22, 2007
Nick leaves for Northern Virginia for a few nights. Walk the dog myself. Call Nick crying because I can no longer hear the kitten crying and I am convinced that something bad has happened to him.
Day 6 - August 23, 2007
I enlisted the help of my wonderful neighbor, GI Joe. His name isn't Joe but he is in the army and actually sets up surveillence cameras to catch graffati artists, so we dubbed him GI Joe. Super cool neighbor! He helps. We walk around and spot the kitten under a back porch. He crawls under the house. GI Joe and I set out a trap and wait for the kitten to come out. Meanwhile, the neighbors of the house come home and scare the kitten out and we lose him again.
I call Nick crying for the second night in a row. Poor scared kitten.
Day 7 - August 24, 2007
Nick comes home from Northern Virginia. Yay. Super tired after a long weekend of classes but still went to a friends party with me. Such a good guy. Driving home from the party and guess what runs out in the road. The little orange and white kitten. I jump out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop. I didn't even have shoes on. Yuck! If you knew where we lived, you would understand this is not something you should do. Trapped the little kitten under the porch of a vacant house. Sat there for 2 hours with the kitten. I could get him to eat out of my hand, but everytime I would go to grab him, he would jump off the ledge. Finally, Nick looked like he wasn't going to last much longer, so we realized we had to do something to get him out. I suggested he start throwing some mulch at him. Nick throws a piece. Nothing happens. He throws another piece and hits him right between the eyes. The kitten runs out and down the little alley between two houses. Nick takes off after him and must have run right past him. I get around to the same side and shine the flashlight down the alley in time to see the kitten running right at Nick. Nick, with his quick hands (thanks to college football) scoops the kitten up. Then the kitten bites him. Ouch. I am sure that the little kitten doesn't have any diseases or anything (I hope). Then he comes home to live with us.
When Gus came home he weighed barely 1 pound. Now that little orange and white kitten weighs in at 14 pounds. You will be happy to know that Nick did not catch any horrible disease from the bite either.
So after all that trouble, you can see why we celebrate Happy Gus Day!
And how did Gus celebrate Happy Gus Day? With Baked Doritos!
Day 1 - August 18, 2007
Nick and I were walking Roque out near a pretty main road. As we were walking, I heard the very distinct cry of a kitten. We walked towards the sound to see if we could find the source of the cry. We live in townhouses that are all connected and unfortunately, all the houses have porches and the kitten could move quite easily from house to house without being detected by people.
Day 2 - August 19, 2007
Again walking the dog...heard the kitten (around the same place as the night before), couldn't find the kitten. Came back to the house worried about the kitten.
Day 3 - August 20, 2007
Walking Roque, didn't hear the kitten where we have heard it each night before. Round the corner and here the kitten again. Nick takes Roque home so the 70 pound dog doesn't scare the little guy and comes back out to help me find the precious one. We search for quite a bit and walk through quite a few spider webs. Then I got my first glimpse of the kitten. He was orange and white. I announce this information to Nick and he immediately realizes that this means that this kitten will be eventually coming home with us. I have been telling Nick for quite sometime that I wanted an orange cat. However, tonight would not be the night the kitten comes home with me. He got scared of us and ran under another house and then we lost him. I went home and came back out with some food for the little guy. I put it where we last saw him and hoped he would come back and find it.
Day 4 - August 21, 2007
Hear the kitten again, tried to catch him, gosh they are fast, still no luck, put out more food.
Day 5 - August 22, 2007
Nick leaves for Northern Virginia for a few nights. Walk the dog myself. Call Nick crying because I can no longer hear the kitten crying and I am convinced that something bad has happened to him.
Day 6 - August 23, 2007
I enlisted the help of my wonderful neighbor, GI Joe. His name isn't Joe but he is in the army and actually sets up surveillence cameras to catch graffati artists, so we dubbed him GI Joe. Super cool neighbor! He helps. We walk around and spot the kitten under a back porch. He crawls under the house. GI Joe and I set out a trap and wait for the kitten to come out. Meanwhile, the neighbors of the house come home and scare the kitten out and we lose him again.
I call Nick crying for the second night in a row. Poor scared kitten.
Day 7 - August 24, 2007
Nick comes home from Northern Virginia. Yay. Super tired after a long weekend of classes but still went to a friends party with me. Such a good guy. Driving home from the party and guess what runs out in the road. The little orange and white kitten. I jump out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop. I didn't even have shoes on. Yuck! If you knew where we lived, you would understand this is not something you should do. Trapped the little kitten under the porch of a vacant house. Sat there for 2 hours with the kitten. I could get him to eat out of my hand, but everytime I would go to grab him, he would jump off the ledge. Finally, Nick looked like he wasn't going to last much longer, so we realized we had to do something to get him out. I suggested he start throwing some mulch at him. Nick throws a piece. Nothing happens. He throws another piece and hits him right between the eyes. The kitten runs out and down the little alley between two houses. Nick takes off after him and must have run right past him. I get around to the same side and shine the flashlight down the alley in time to see the kitten running right at Nick. Nick, with his quick hands (thanks to college football) scoops the kitten up. Then the kitten bites him. Ouch. I am sure that the little kitten doesn't have any diseases or anything (I hope). Then he comes home to live with us.
When Gus came home he weighed barely 1 pound. Now that little orange and white kitten weighs in at 14 pounds. You will be happy to know that Nick did not catch any horrible disease from the bite either.
So after all that trouble, you can see why we celebrate Happy Gus Day!
And how did Gus celebrate Happy Gus Day? With Baked Doritos!
You tend to forget he was once that small! I know he is happy you and Nick finally got ahold of him. Love you!
ReplyDeleteWe remind him all the time that he would have been happier much sooner if he would have just listened to reason when I tried to tell him we would give him a good home. Love you!
ReplyDelete