Just over nine years ago we became the owner of two cats. I have NEVER been able to understand what these cats are saying to me but that’s a discussion for another day.

I promised Hannah, who was six at the time, we could get a family pet of some sort. I had settled on cats as my first choice because compared to dogs cats are more low maintenance. I’m all about low maintenance.

My plan was that we would adopt an older cat from the local animal shelter. Hannah gets a pet and we adopt an animal who otherwise might not find a home. That’s a good deal all around.

The only problem was Hannah asked about a kitten. The asking was not really the problem. I must admit it was my answer that created the problem. “A kitten would be lonely and miss its brothers and sisters but big cats are not like that,” I explained Hannah. “If we got a kitten we’d have to get two kittens because a small kitten would be lonely away from its mother,” which I thought was a decent explanation for an adult to give to a six year old. I’d play on her emotions a little. In short, I would outsmart her.

It didn’t work exactly as I’d planned. “Let me get this straight,” Hannah reasoned aloud. “I can have one warge (meaning large, she was small and very cute) cat or two small kittens,” she said. I could feel the air leaking out of my plan. It is the same kind of feeling you get when you realize you’ve just allowed yourself to become set up to be double jumped in checkers. “I just fink (think, cute, cute, cute) I will take the two kittens. Oh yes, Dad, checkmate (she didn’t really say that, she didn’t have to.)

A few years later Hannah asked to talk to me. I could tell it was going to be a serious, sit down type of conversation. We chatted for a while about different topics then Hannah cut to the point. “I want to ask you about the cats,” she said. “I would really like to get a dog.” I certainly wasn’t going to try the old we could rescue an old dog or get two puppies deal on her. It didn’t work with the cats and now she’s trying to sell me on getting a dog. So I reasoned with her, “we picked the two kittens a few years ago so and they’re our family pets.” “We can’t bring a dog into our family with the cats,” I said. That makes sense doesn’t it?

Hannah looked at me and thought for a moment. She drew a deep breath before she spoke. I could tell this was going to be a very serious question. “These cats,” she said pausing to emphasize the importance of her point. “How long do they last?”

How long DO THEY LAST? I’m still wondering that today. My cute little six year old is fifteen and has traded in the little round glasses for contacts and a cell phone. She’s text messaging and is on Facebook and has an iPod. There are girlfriends who call and she’s developing a life apart from the world here at home. Some days it’s like we speak completely different languages. Grrrrrrr. I can’t believe she’s got the nerve to try to develop a life of her own. She’s my little baby Skipper. What are kids today thinking? Is it not enough that she tricked me with the kitten deal all those years ago?

How long do they last?