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Normally when I bring home shopping bags, Kelda inspects them carefully and then waits for me to unpack them so she can play in the empty bags. In between inspection and play, she helps me put things away by chasing after my feet. (to her this IS help) Last weekend, she had a completely different attitude towards my shopping bags.

I brought home tons of Kelda’s favorite type of shopping bags- the large department store type. Typically, Kelda never waits for me to finish removing the contents of these kinds of bags before she starts dashing in and out of the bag, like some gray and white tornado. Not last weekend. All she did was eye them suspiciously after giving them a good smell. I was eyed quite suspiciously too.

These were the bags I brought home after my baby shower. I was given tons and tons of wonderful baby things. I was thrilled with all the precious baby items; Kelda apparently was not.

I took the bags to my room to unpack and take inventory. Kelda reluctantly followed me. She then refused to enter my room and just stood in the doorway letting me know how displeased she was for me bringing these things home.

That’s right, she was giving me the infamous ‘evil eye’. It worked too. I felt very guilty that these things upset her so greatly. I wondered if I was not being a good mother to her. Had I been giving her enough attention? I do get awfully tired lately and I’m not always in the mood for kitty play when she is. I am so busy with preparing for my new baby and still trying to maintain a life. I wondered whether or not I had been making enough time for her lately.

Cats aren’t huge fans of change. There have been a lot of huge changes this year, from the addition of another cat to an out of state move. She has dealt with it well thus far, better than I could have hoped. I think this is partially due us having such a strong bond. The next big change is going to change our lives forever and she knows it.

I suspect Kelda knew before I did that I was pregnant. From around the time of the actual conception, she would not leave my side. She showered me with attention. She became gentler during playtime. She loved to lie on my belly and purr. It was Kelda’s doting behavior that led me to even suspect I was pregnant before I ever had any symptoms.

Then the months went by and baby started kicking actively. When Kelda made herself cozy on my expanding tummy, the deep purring sounds Kelda emitted excited the baby and caused him to kick furiously. The poor kitty was quite disturbed by this jostling. She’d look around absolutely startled when the kicking started and when the kicking subsided, she went back to her purring. Baby would kick again and Kelda would give me the ‘evil eye’ and hop right off my tummy. How dare I let that little person inside me interrupt our quality time! Needless to say, Kelda no longer indulges in this kind of bonding with me.

So there I was with Kelda displaying to me how much she did not approve of all the new baby items and me feeling like a lousy kitty mother. I was the one who taught Kelda that she was the center of my universe to begin with. In just a few weeks, I am going to leave her for two days and bring home a whole new person, who will need more attention then she. My universe is going to shift a little.

How on earth do you explain that to a cat? And then can you tell me how to explain it to the world’s most spoiled cat? She always holds a grudge if I’m gone for more than 12 hours. I once left her for two days with a cat sitter and found my home in shambles upon my return and my cat completely unwilling to acknowledge my existence for 48 hours.

I put on my best mommy voice for Kelda and began explaining why and how things were going to change. I invited her in my room to help me. I could see her gaze softening just a little. I showed her the new laundry basket I received for baby clothes and pushed it towards the door. (Kelda has a thing for laundry baskets like most other cats) She gave a big yawn and cautiously prowled over to inspect it. After a few sniffs, she decided that it would do and began rubbing her scent on it. Then she hopped in to gauge it on the