By JACKIE TAYLOR | December 11, 2024

Momma Muffin

Well, the Taylor household has once again become the landing zone for a displaced cat that I named Muffin.

The question becomes how do I name my animals? I have no idea, it’s more like word association – what pops in my head when I look at the animal and more importantly, what name can I remember.

Muffin, a calico cat, showed up a couple of weeks ago; I didn’t know if it was a boy or girl cat. I recently adopted two free kittens that are no longer free after they’ve had their full rounds of shots, a spay and a neuter. 

Also, my steadfast rule that I won’t have cats in the house was broken with those two – I am now the proud owner of a robotic catbox that is the best thing since sliced bread.

But, enter the scene is the calico cat named Muffin. I’d assumed she was a female as I didn’t see the normal items male cats carry – but she seemed to be a well-fed, friendly cat.

Well-fed was my mistake; she is now named Momma Muffin as I believe she is carrying kittens.

Momma Muffin lives in my outside catbox that is fitted with a heat lamp and an endless supply of kitten chow. She is the sweetest cat and is now part of the family; she gets along with my dogs and the two other cats.

Enter stage right is my granddaughter that came to stay with me last weekend. Momma Muffin was loved on, carried and petted all weekend. The thought of kittens was such a magnet for her; the thought of giving baby kittens away not so much.

Momma Muffin has a trip to the vet scheduled; I want to see if she’s pregnant or just fat. If she’s pregnant, what date can I expect to see mini furballs arrive?

Of course, my granddaughter wants to keep all of the kitties and the thought of rehoming them doesn’t register. I told her we could possibly keep one, but definitely not all of them.

My friend whom I had dinner with a few weeks ago, prior to Momma Muffin, asked me if I was getting more cats. My answer was an absolute no way, “I’m not a crazy cat person.”

Well, that statement went up in flames – I’m not a crazy cat person, but I do have a soft-spot in my heart for animals people drop off that will be in a hard place without some help – and that was Momma Muffin.

Momma Muffin is one of the lucky ones; according to Google, “Each year, 6.5 million dogs, cats and other former pets are abandoned or lost and end up in shelters. Out of these, only 3.2 million are adopted, and many return to shelters within a year of being rehomed. More young people are choosing to adopt pets. Between 3.5 to 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted every year.”

Further, the site reports about 920,000 animals are euthanized each year. Many animals that aren’t adopted die in shelters due to sickness or old age.

My own dog, Ella, was a shelter dog for the first year and one-half of her life. We are still dealing with mental issues the kennel created. It wasn’t that the kennel was bad, the environment they create causes behavioral issues in many animals.

Christmas time is coming and it’s a popular time to get kids a new puppy, kitten or other animal. Owning animals is rewarding, but it’s expensive, time-consuming and a long-term investment into their life and your own.

Before you run out to buy a puppy from a breeder or Petco place, I’d recommend looking at your local shelter. My dog is awesome now, my Momma Muffin is a wonderful cat. Adopting both of them took them off of the street, saved their lives and gave me reward of its own kind.

Remember, like game show host Bob Barker, the former host of The Price Is Right, said, “Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered.”

Momma Muffin was an anomaly, most stray pets don’t get a second chance.