When the kids were young we found ourselves looking for a kitten. Because this cat was for the kids I took them with me to the shelter where we could see how the cats interacted with the kids. After spending some time petting and playing with all of the cats we found a pair who were very affectionate toward the kids. Of course, taking two kids to the shelter having them both agree on one cat is not likely. As a result we ended up with 2 kittens (much to my husband's dismay), one calico and one tortoise shell.
For those of you who weren't aware of this, cats with the calico or tortoise shell color are always female cats. Upon leaving the shelter Katie announced that her cat's name would be Dennis. After all, according to her Dennis is a girls name. So here we are with a girl cat named Dennis. As she grew so did her 'real name', it is Paddington Dennis Flower Gillette. Dennis for short.
This cat of Katie's is bizarre. Not just a little strange, not odd, full out bizarre. When Katie would play with her dolls in a baby stroller the cat would get upset. She would haul the dolls out of the stroller so SHE could ride in it. It got to the point that if Katie wanted to push her stroller around she would giggle it shaking the handles and the cat would come out from where ever she was hiding for a ride in the stroller. That little parlor trick kept her and her friends entertained for half a day sometimes.
As the kittens grew up so did their bonds with the kids. Katie's cat was VERY attached to our little girl. At bedtime Katie would call out "Dennis, time for bed!" and the cat would trot down the hall and follow her into her room. If she somehow got shut out of Katie's room the cat would yowl, cry and make the most pitiful sounds you could imagine until we opened the door so she could go sleep with Katie.
This behavior led to an addition on Katie's Christmas list. She asked Santa for a 'push button door for Dennis". When she shared her Christmas list with us I wasn't sure what a push button door was so I asked. As it turns out, Katie wanted a door like the handicap entrances at some businesses where you push a button on either side of the door and the door will open automatically. She figured that if she had a push button door Dennis could come and go from her bedroom whenever she liked, we would not have to open and close the door for her.
Now, I can imagine you are all thinking 'But a cat can't push a button.' Guess what, if Katie is teaching the cat it can. Katie had taught her cat many different things. She taught Dennis to climb up a ladder to the top bunk in her bedroom. She also taught her cat how to play fetch. (This lesson was not well appreciated by Erik because the fetch toys Katie used were parts of his nerf darts.) Katie spent an afternoon teaching Dennis how to push a Staples 'Easy' button. Yep, it only took her a few hours and she had that cat pushing a button.
As Christmas neared Katie made an announcement regarding her Christmas list. After spending all that time teaching her cat how to push a button so she could work that new door she had asked for Katie said she was not getting the door. Unsure of what caused her to come to this realization Katie explained her logic. She wasn't going to get the automatic push button door for Christmas because Santa's Elves can't use chain saws. Yep, those little elves just couldn't manage such a large piece of power equipment. Poor Dennis still has to wait for someone to come along and open the door to let her in or out.
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