Day 1 – Operation Kitten
“The Fulmers are giving their kittens away!” exclaims an excited Sophie. “Should I ask for one for my birthday?”
“You can certainly ask, but more than likely you won’t get one,” I answer. “I don’t think Daddy is crazy about the idea of having a cat.”
Sophie lets the discussion drop, biding her time.
Day 4 – Operation Kitten
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a kitten?” says Sophie. “The kittens next door are soooooo cute.” She doesn’t add that they are also free, but she knows that I know.
“Yes, Sophie, it would be nice to have a kitten,” I answer. “But Daddy doesn’t want a cat in the house. He doesn’t like the cat hair that cats leave around the house.”
“Just because Daddy doesn’t want a cat doesn’t mean we won’t ever get a cat.”
“What do you mean by that?” I ask.
“Well, Daddy didn’t want a pool, but then we got one,” she points out. “And now he really likes it.” She adds, “It could work the same way with a cat. And besides, he already likes Grandma and Grandpa’s cat.”
Day 6 – Operation Kitten
“We could clean up the garage so two kittens could live in it. If we cleaned it up, they wouldn’t be scared. And then they could have more kittens when they grew up, and we’d have lots of kittens in our garage.”
Say I: “Hmmm. Sounds like a fun idea, but don’t get your hopes up.”
Day 9 – Operation Kitten
“I think I’ll put a kitten on my birthday list.”
Silence. She has worn me down. Perhaps her next tactic ought to be the same kind of conversations with her father.