Binks Meets the Toddler, or "Is That Pee?"

The day after the main mass of my old place was transferred to the new place, I went back and picked up my sweet fur-bellies so they could get acquainted with their new environment while I was here to provide comfort for their traumatized little emotions.

I put them in their carriers and secured them in the back of the truck and began the 25.3 mile drive from Titusville to Cape Canaveral. I was entreated with many vocalizations along the way and several different decibels, most of them very high in the megahertz range.

On arriving we met Shannon, her father, Don, and her 20-month old son, Tristan. I left the cats in their crates on the floor but opened the doors so they would know they could get out if they wanted. Tristan, who is just about the same size as Binks, thought this was a fabulous arrangement and proceeded to try and crawl inside the crate with Mr. Bond. Binks took advantage of this distraction by attempting to slink out of his crate behind Tristan's back so he could find somewhere to hide.

Just as he was about 3/4 of the way out of the crate, Tristan squealed with glee because Mr. Bond hissed at him (this is apparently hillarious to a 20-month-old). Binks panicked. Moved at lightning speed, he dashed from the crate onto the smooth wooden flooring of the foyer. Problems immediately emerged to impede his retreat. 1--he has no claws with which to grip a smooth surface; 2--the foyer is VERY smooth and uncarpeted; 3--he was peeing steadily as he ran because I hadn't considered whether he'd visited the box before stuffing him in his crate--his paws, tummy, tail, OK pretty much everything below the head, were all drenched.

I eventually caught up with him as he flailed in place in the middle of the floor and put my hand down on his scruff, effectively immobilizing him. Don, still somewhat out of sorts by the initial mad dash, was a bit beside himself as he looked at the floor ... and looked at Binks ... and looked at Shannon ... and looked at me ... and finally asked in utter disbelief, "Is that pee?"

And thus the foyer was christened by Binks during his first 60 seconds in his new home.