MURPHY MULDOON-- KITANA,TOMIKO AND CHINA

October 31,2005 What a day this turned out to be:
Lady Love and I started to run a few errands at about 10 a.m. this morning. I needed to stop by Home Instead Office to turn in my hours. I asked her if she wanted to go the back way to the office. First she said no and then she said yes. So I directed her on my round about short cut. She laughed and said she would never believe that was a short cut ( but it is.)
We arrived at the office and I found our office manager, Debbie in a beautiful witch costume wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. She offered me a Halloween cookie and I took one for myself (figured Lady Love wouldn’t want one as she has not been feeling too well this entire week.)
Deb checked my hours and said they were o.k. so I started out the door. She called,”You don”t know of anyone that wants some kittens do you? I have 13! Here take a look they are adorable.” She held up a placard with little groupings of one,two and three of the most adorable kittens all posed and named. I told her that I didn’t think we wanted any.
When I got to the car I told Lady Love I just had seen pictures of the most adorable little kitties I had ever seen. Lady Love said ”Well,I wouldn’t want to take a kitten with out holding it and interacting with it but I’d like to take a look at the picture.” So we went back into the office. The next thing I know we are making arrangements to meet Debbi’s husband in a little over an hour. To “look” at the kittens---Yeah right!. We had to go to the bank next.
“Now, do you want to go the back way to the bank?,I said.
“Oh sure, this is a day for adventure.”
I directed her around Bittersweet Park and over to our bank. Less traffic lights. Lady Love went in the bank and came out carrying two Halloween cup cakes.
We laughed and ate those gooey cupcakes like two excited children. This was a day full of surprises.
We drove out to the country where Debbie lives, and there was her husband, beckoning us to enter the thru the open gate. (She is right he is a handsome Indian man with a long braid hanging down his back.) We drove around to the back by the garage and Wayne ,introduce himself and we chatted easily as we walked in the garage.
There they were, 11 adorable kitties. Lady Love went thru the gate into the kitty pen and stood with never less than four kitties at her feet. I saw a shy little tabby,gold and gray female kitty and Lady Love handed her to me. What a doll--she was already named China because she looked like a liitle china figurine. I had discovered the word “chinoiserie” so that is what I named her but we will call her China.
Lady Love thought from Debbie’s picture that she had wanted the little black and white female. Instead she picked a gray tabby male.(Debbie had named him “Cuddles”)but Lady Love named him Tomiko. The kitties are similarly marked and naturally the most beautiful babies you have ever seen.
We, of course, ended up taking both kitties. We had talked about doing this but I thought perhaps we never would. But Halloween was a day for adventure and just what two old girls need in their life--more babies.
We kept the babies downstairs while they were small and eventually would introduce them to Murphy. He had done well with Kitana so we introduce them each day a little a time and found him to be interested but somewhat wary as were we. As they grew larger we were surprised at how well they all got along. Kitana was still the “queen” cat and dealt with all of them so she was rewarded with respect.
Murphy trained Tomiko to play with him. Tomiko still to this day knows how to make a game out of anything he does. China is a shy little girl and remained that way in spite of Murphy.

Murphy is now enrolled in dog training class!!!!! Go figure. I spent all Oct. and part of November walking Murphy when ever I could. Training Training. Training.
On Nov. 4 Murphy got a hold of Lady Love’s (Rinititidine) an acid pill and we thought he had eaten the whole bottle. Called the vet and he said we would have to bring him in to induce vomiting. Because that was way too many pills. We were rushing around getting ready to go when Lady Love remembered that Murphy took things into his crate. Sure enough,there was a pile of pills --there was 55 pills so he had only eaten 4 --we called the vet back and he said just feed him and every thing would come out all right. Whew! That Murphy!
Nov 8, I guess that the Murphy saga may go on forever. Today while Lady Love was working in her studio downstairs Murphy became bored and ate a bottle of white out. He climbed upon the dining room table to get same--this is the same dog that finds it impossible to jump in your lap.!!!
Dec.4 --My right knee was giving me trouble and it appears surgery was
going to have to take place soon.