The Other Big Sisters

Okay, terrible pet mama, I realized that I neglected in my last post about Big Sister Enda to give an update on my first fur-babies, Lupe and Carmen.  Those girls have been with me for nearly 10 years (crazy to think about), but yet they - admittedly - continue to receive less and less attention as we add new family members.  First it was James, who they hate.  Then it was Enda, who they despise even more.  And now we have James Benjamin, who they still can't really figure out.

Take Lupe, for example. She's my real temperamental gal, who has acted like a grumpy old lady since she was 2 years old. She will hiss, spit, and totally freak out at the sight of the dog, and will also react that way if James tries to talk to her or touch her.

James: "Hi there, sweet Lupe."

Lupe: "You will never be my real father!"

However, with the baby, she seems to be very interested and want to actually be around him.  When he's on his activity mat, she'll go sit beside him.  When he's resting in the napper, she curls up right beside it and sleeps.  It's very odd...and maybe a little concerning.  Is she actually showing love and affection in her distorted, twisted way?  Or worse, plotting....?  Either way, I keep an eye on that one.

Lupe: "At least he doesn't chase me....yet..."

Carmen has showed ZERO interest in JB, nor does she even seem to realize we have a new baby.  She does, however, love all the new things for the baby.  She hangs out in his chair, in his crib, in his stroller...  I've googled "danger of cat in crib" a gazillion times, but, so far, she hasn't actually tried to get in these things at the same time as JB.  (For the record, most accounts say the cat will not hurt a baby.  Plus, my mom said our Siamese cat slept in my crib every night, and the only effect was that I'm now a cat lover. Of course, James thinks this is an actual risk we should keep in mind.)

Carmen: "Get away from my new chair!"

So, that's the update I have on the other sisters.  When they are not checking out the baby/baby gear, they still spend 20 hours a day sleeping upstairs in my office to avoid chance encounters with the dog.  I'm sure their lives continue to get worse and worse by their standards.  <Sigh>

(Quick story: since becoming a Mama I hear "phantom baby cries" all the time.  I swear I hear JB crying, even when he is not.  The other night in the kitchen, James claimed he heard them, too!  We had a good laugh about how we're "so crazy and sleep deprived" and went to bed.  In the middle of the night, after continuing to hear them, James realized Carmen - our adventurous indoor kitty -  was locked out on the deck.  These phantom cries were actually her crying to be let in.  PET PARENT FAIL.)