No, it's not funny...

Why are cats so smart yet so dumb? And why are there so many stray cats in our neighborhood that like to congregate in our yard? Last week Pat saw a kitten sitting under the front of my car, and when she went out to see how friendly it was, it jumped up into the engine area. I never saw the kitten and hadn't given it a second thought. Yesterday, Jake and I were going to get some lunch so I settled him in his car seat and then we left. About 15 minutes later we arrive home and I immediately see this kitten laying on our driveway. I knew exactly what had happened. UGH! I parked and told Jake there was something on the driveway I didn't want him to see and that I was going to cover his eyes until we got inside. Of course, he questioned me, and I explained that one of the neighborhood kittens was hurt and I needed to help it. I get Jake inside and settled down with his Happy Meal. Then I try to decide what on earth to do about this cat. I call my dad, he laughs and then tells me the story of how he saw a bunny rabbit on the road that had been hit by a car, but wasn't dead and he knew he had to put the bunny out of its misery. Thanks, Daddy, that helped so much!

Okay, so I tell Jake to stay in the house and head out to the garage for a shovel, garbage bag, and then decided on a box, too. Of course, I try to shovel up the poor animal and it just scoots along the driveway. Oh great! No way am I touching it so I have to go find something to help me get it on the shovel. Mind you, the driveway looks like, well, it was I guess, a murder scene. There's "stuff" everywhere! All I could find was some kind of wooden stick in the garage, but I knew I just couldn't do this. I go back in the house and decide to call my neighbors, Kent and Katie. They're super nice and I'm sure when they gave us their numbers, they didn't mean for us to call with this type of situation, but I'm at a loss here. Sweet Kent comes out and gets the cat up and into the bag and box. He finally tells me to go inside and he'd clean up the driveway. I was very upset that I had taken this kitty's life and I guess Kent could tell. I thanked him over and over again. Geez, what a good neighbor!!! Later, you couldn't even tell what had happened except for the "box" sitting next to the garage door.

I called Pat and left a message for her not to come home and think she had a surprise waiting by the garage and go tearing into the box. I let her know what happened. Afterward, my lunch was not looking very appetizing. Oh well.

This morning, I wake up kind of, and Pat's telling me the mama cat was going nuts. I told Pat not to say another word, that I knew I killed her baby and it was bad enough; I didn't need to hear the mama was grieving! She keeps talking though, telling me that Mama was trying to get into the box. ACK! Now I feel so much better!