Dynamic duo streaks to food bowl

Because I'm an animal lover and because I have written several stories that relate to animal control, I can promise you that we have got to do something about this problem.

I'll get back to that in a moment, but first, I want to share a story about a cat and a dog named Lizzie.

I live out in the county and so seeing stray cats and dogs running free is really nothing new to me, but until recently, I'd never really paid too close attention or gotten attached to a stray.

Animal person I am; dog person I definitely am; cats ... I'm not so sure.

Lizzie and I were enjoying the first "free" day we've had together in what seems likes months. A nice Lifetime movie, a cup of tea, a blanket and a super comfortable couch had me and Lizzie feeling like we were finally catching up from too much activity and work.

Yes, Lizzie the shih-tzu works! She's the world's greatest doorman!

Anyway, we were relaxing when we heard something outside. I walked up to my front door, looked out, and saw my neighbors riding their horses across my lawn. Jealous as I was of their leisurely weekend ride together, after just having dropped my husband off at the airport, I opened the door to say hello.

Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, something white and really furry zipped past me, past Lizzie, and into the house. By the time I turned around to see what it was it had already turned the corner and made a fast and furious run for the kitchen.

Next, lazy Lizzie ran like a race horse after it.

As my heart beat reached a million pumps a minute, I finally caught up to the dynamic duo and entered the kitchen.

The most beautiful, long-haired, blue-eyed cat was scarfing down Lizzie's dog food as if it had never eaten. Big, bad, cat-hating Lizzie just stared at the cat, occasionally looking back at me like, "Mom, do something!"

All I could think to do was grab the camera and take pictures of this amusing sight. Jack will have a cow over this, I thought. Fun! Another opportunity to get Jack mad at me! Admittedly, I usually don't have to "try" for that to happen, but I couldn't resist.

It was very obvious that this gorgeous cat, one of the most gorgeous I've ever seen, was pregnant. Snowflake, as I've now named her, will likely deliver kittens any day now.

It broke my heart, but I had to sway her out of the house by setting Lizzie's food bowl outside.

Of course, I got another nasty look from Queen Elizabeth in doing so, but oh well, Lizzie is fat and this cat was starving. Liz would just have to get over herself.

So now I have fallen in love with a white stray cat who is probably about to have kittens in my garage.

Sound familiar?

Now, the real question is, what do I do?

A co-worker of mine just mentioned to me this morning that his parents, who live in the city, not the county, have recently had stray cats invade their property.

They have decided to trap the two cats in pet trappers and take them to Murfreesboro, where the cost is significantly lower, to be spayed.

Maybe, after Snowflake has her kittens, I will take her to the clinic to be fixed. Of course first I'll have to find all of the kittens homes and pray their owners will have them spayed or neutered.

Each year, approximately 75 to 80 percent of cats and dogs are euthanized in Bedford County as a result of extreme pet overpopulation. I can't imagine Snowflake being a part of that sad statistic.

Animal control officials are currently working toward opening a low cost spay-neuter clinic. To help, or for more information, call 685-1130.

-- Sadie Fowler is lifestyles editor at the Times-Gazette. She can be reached by e-mail at sfowler@t-g.com. Her column, Sadie Says, is scheduled to run every Sunday.