Blankie and the missing kitten

Teen Baby and Luanne are very aware that there is another kitty behind a closed door. Both cats normally sleep on the bed with me at night and languish on it during the day--in a pile, along with Oliver. But since Saturday night, they have been shut out so Miss Dorothy can ease into her new place. I also don't want her to be in the basement yet, because she is too small and is curious enough to get herself stuck behind the washer and dryer or in some other hairy basement predicament (although, really, there isn't a lot besides the washer and dryer for her to get into down there except a bunch of empty boxes, otherwise known as the kitty amusement park). I'm not worried about her being able to maneuver the steps after witnessing her Ninja Warrior skills on the wicker screen.



Oliver, who is 17, senile, and spends most of his time walking around in the basement or sleeping, is pretty uninterested in her whereabouts.

So at the suggestion of my friend Rene, I took something of Dorothy's (superstar green blankie) out of the bedroom and into the house and purposely dangled it in front of both Teen Baby and Luanne so they could sniff it and decode the smells.


You'd better bring that thing back in here.

Teen Baby walked into it like a bull oblivious to its purpose and meandered over to the bedroom door, knowing full well that the owner of this strange baby kitty scent was behind it. He is such a gentle, calm cat and nothing at all bothers him.


Don't placate me with that cloth. I know she's in there.

Luanne hissed at the blankie immediately, walked away from it, circled the coffee table, then peeped around one of its legs and stalked it. I spread it out on the sofa and she came over and sniffed it, then jumped up onto it and continued her investigation for several minutes.



She eventually jumped down, gave it a baleful last look, and walked away.

Meanwhile, Dorothy was safe in the bedroom, pining for superstar blankie.



I have let her out into the house twice now--once for about 30 minutes and last night for about an hour. I'll add to that story tomorrow.