Operation Christmas Cat

We have accomplished the impossible. Dave and I have been hiding a cat in our master bathroom for two weeks. All in the name of the "ultimate" Christmas surprise! I can't believe that we made it to Christmas. The little stinker didn't cooperate very well. I think he is the loudest cry baby cat ever adopted. He meowed so often and so loudly that we have had Christmas music playing (loudly) on the computer every day for the last two weeks. Poor Chase even came out one night to ask us to turn it off so he could sleep. It didn't cover up all the noise but fortunately for the sake of the surprise, our kids aren't the quiet, pensive types and never were still enough themselves to hear the cat.

That was until Christmas Eve, when Kate comes into the loft to tell me that she hears a cat. It took some pretty fast thinking to come up with a cover. I told her "socks" our neighborhood cat must have gotten stuck in our garage. (you know its warm in there and cold outside...he was seeking refuge!) We went downstairs (away from the real meowing cat) and I opened the garage to let the nonexistent cat out. She totally fell for it too!

There were a handful of times when we had granted the cat visiting rites with us in our bedroom when one of us would open the door and he would make a mad dash for freedom. Several quick lounges were required to pull him back inside before he blew his own cover.

We were laying in bed in bed Christmas morning amazed that we had kept him a secret. Dave snuck downstairs to wrap him up in his own special padded and ventilated box. The plan was that he would fall asleep in his box while waiting for us to open all of our presents while waiting in the garage. He would be the grand finale. Unfortunately he had other plans. Dave had just made it back upstairs to tell the kids they could come down when we heard the most pathetic meows you can imagine. Chase looked at me, his eyes big a saucers, I knew he knew. All I could hope was that he would heed the warning in my eyes and not spoil it for his less perceptive sisters. I ran downstairs after Dave to help. When I got to the garage I saw Dave trying to stuff the cat back into his box. He was fighting like a champ. His paws busting through cardboard and wrapping paper trying to prevent being wrapped up again. We tapped him up like fort Knox. So instead of being the grand finale it became necessary for him to be numero uno. We brought the kids down, brought the package in from the garage, and let the kids bust him out. The kids shredded the paper and he was out in seconds. They were so excited, looking at us in total disbelief. It was so fun to have had such a great surprise for them. I feel like a secret agent!

Later we asked the kids what their favorite present was. The cat won unanimously. And he hasn't been put down since.