Carolyn Holm

Dear Winston,
You are not really an entry level cat. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
You don’t always make any sense.
Winston

Dear Winston,
I know. Sorry. I meant that if you were someone’s very first cat, they might not ever get another. A good entry level cat would be calm and affectionate. Living with you is like living with a very complicated wild animal.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
That’s me!!!!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
You can be the sweetest guy ever. Follow me around the house like a little dog. Call out for me when you can’t find me. You obviously like to be near me.  Sometimes you want to be picked up. But then… you spook so easily! Sometimes when I try to pick you up you practically shred me to get away. When I scritch your head,  sometimes you purr, and sometimes you turn around and attack my hand.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I love to attack your hand!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
You are better now about soft paws rather than claws, but not always, and you definitely don’t have soft teeth! Dad and I are always all nicked up with bloody scratches. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I don’t mean to hurt you!
Winston

Dear Winston,
I know sweetie. You are just a bit wild.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I’m just being a cat.
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s so true! In fact, sweetie, I think you’ve hit on it. You take everything cat and push it to its extreme! You don’t just make gentle biscuits like any other cat, you maul the blanket. Head down, hunched over, intensely kneading at top speed, cranking out tons of biscuits like some kind of freak.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I’m a freak?
Winston

Dear Winston,
No sweetie! Well, actually, a little. But you are my sweet freak. I think that you were not well socialized when you were a foster kitten. You and your littermate sister were very young when you were rescued, so young you had to be bottle fed. And your foster mom had several litters she was taking care of, so she probably didn’t have a lot of time for working on socialization. But I’m finding that with maturity and a lot of handling, you are coming along!
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Where is my sister?
Winston

Dear Winston,
She died of a congenital heart defect, and that left you as a solitary kitten. Even though there were other litters of kittens there, you weren’t their age, so you didn’t fit in, or have anyone to bond with. Your foster mom told me that you would just wander around on your own, and didn’t sleep with any of the other kittens. That probably explains your independence. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I’m independent?
Winston

Dear Winston,
You are! Every night I can count on dear old Puffin to sleep with me, but a lot of times I don’t even know what part of the house you have wandered off to.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
That’s not ok?
Winston

Dear Winston,
It’s fine. I’m just glad I’ve had so many cats in my life, so I can appreciate your differences. 
Love, Carolyn

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A note to our readers…

Winston, Poppy, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!