No Kitten for Us or We Aren't Good Enough For Those Kittys

So last Saturday, we decide that it is time we got Samantha a kitten. She has been asking for a kitten every single day for almost a year. She ends almost every sentence with, or works in the following phrase: "when Mommy and Daddy get me my kitten". As in, "I love peanut butter, it's so sticky, when Mommy and Daddy get me my kitten, the kitten won't want to step in the peanut butter because it's paws would get sticky like my fingers." So, we finally caved and decided we were ready to commit to a kitten. I looked online and found a kitten fair going on at a local pet store. I got Sammy all ready to go and pick out her new kitty. We got to the pet store, oohed and awed at all the adorable little kittys. We picked a few favorites. I was ready to shell out $85-$120 bucks for any one of them. (It was disturbing that the cutest ones cost more, but thats a different post). The Cat Lady let us hold a few, let my daughter fall in love with a few. Then she asked me if I wanted to fill out an application. I said, "sure!" thinking that they just need some contact info to put me on a mailing list to solicit future donations. Boy, was I wrong. Do we own or rent? You rent? Well, we will need a copy of your lease and we will need to speak to the landlord. Do you ever imagine a situation when the cat will be outside? You do? Well, you will need to sign this contract that states that you will be held liable if the kitty ever gets outside. Cats only belong inside, for thier entire life, and never, under any circumstances, can a cat ever step paw outside. Do you have screens on your doors and windows? No? Well then, we will need to do a home study, bring the kitty into your home environment to see if it will do well in your home. Do you have any other pets or small children? You do? What's that you say? You have a baby boy at home? Oh my! Well then, we will have to meet him and see if he is compatable for cats. And, under no circumstance would we let a kitten live with an 18 month old boy. You will only be able to adopt a cat that is over a year old. You thought you could take a kitten home today? Well, that is not possible considering your living situation.

Now, I am a pretty even keeled person. I like to use logic and apply it to these type of situations. But when I looked down at my sweet red headed three year old and saw the tears streaming down her face as she came to the realization that we were not going to take home Jake or Buddy or Tabitha, the only thing I wanted to do is rip Cat Lady's eyes out, or something of that sort. But alas, the only thing I could do is take Sammy by the hand, lead her quietly out of the pet store and tell her that although we will get a kitten someday, we couldn't take a cat home today. Then I reminded her that we got to pet and hold about five kittens. Her face lit up. She smiled, and said, "Mom, I loved petting those kittens! They were so cute! Remember when that orange and white kitty was chasing the feather on the stick? That was so funny. When you and daddy get me a kitten, we will have a feather on a stick, and we will play all day with it...." Crisis averted...for now.