Franklin Earns His Keep

Oh Franklin, Franklin, Franklin. What are we going to do with you?? My daughter adopted Franklin the kitten last summer and took him to college to live with her and her roommates. You can read about it here. That lasted for all of one semester. Franklin moved back home to our house. Did anyone see that coming??? Anybody besides my husband Rob?

Well, we tried. Franklin learned a lot in college. He learned that the dorm apartment is a small space. He learned that worn-out college students don’t want to be woken up to play and carry on at all hours of the night, at least, not every night. He learned that roommates decorate the room with tapestries and flower garlands, pillows and rugs and other items because they want to see them, not because they want him to rip them off the wall or shred them or knock them over. He learned that college students have to sometimes travel with their team and be gone for a few days. He learned that, with multiple people coming and going from the apartment, it is possible to sit in wait and sneak out the front door without anyone noticing.

That little trickster learned a lot in college.

So, Franklin moved back into our house, with Rob shaking his head and groaning like Lurch from the Addams Family. Franklin immediately unpacked and got settled in. At our house, he learned that he liked having lots of different rooms to explore, each with many large windows. He learned that birds and squirrels regularly feed just outside of the windows, where he could watch as long as he wanted.

He learned that we have an elderly dog that he could torment and sometimes snuggle. He learned that there was a long hall where he could zoom with all his stored up energy. He learned that there were many pens and coins and papers and do-dads that he could knock off of shelves and tables and counters.

He learned that our house was a great playground for his little mischievous self.

But, lest you think that he simply mooches off of us, Franklin, in fact, tries to do his part and earn his keep. He does his best to contribute whenever he can. He tries his hand at plumbing. Our shower drain cover is loose and Franklin likes to push it around. Then he reaches in to clean the drain. Look what a good job he does cleaning out the drain! Thanks, Franklin!

He also likes to lock himself in the closet to check the shelves to make sure the blankets and towels are folded properly and stacked neatly. He politely claws to let us know when he’s ready for us to open the closet door to let him out.  You’re such a thoughtful friend, Franklin! When we work on our computers, he likes to review and edit our work, to make sure we don’t have any typos. He has to get really close to the screen to inspect the work, but he studies it in great detail. You are a great helper, Franklin!

He runs pest control by chasing down every bug that wanders into our house. He especially likes to leap to the top of the wall to knock down ‘Stinky’, the stink bug who regularly visits. We sure appreciate your efforts to keep our house bug-free, Franklin!  He likes to check the dry goods in our pantry because he is concerned about the expiration dates on the cereal and oatmeal. You think of everything, Franklin! He wants to make sure our music sound system works properly, so he tests each speaker. A light tap on the right spot turns on the music. He wants to verify that the music works at 3AM and that the volume remains as high as it did early in the evening.  He was right! It does! Thanks for clearing that up for us! He also cares about our health. Periodically, he wakes us up in the middle of the night just to make sure we haven’t died in our sleep. After he checks in, “Hey, are you ok?, and gets a satisfactory grunt, he moves on, “OK, just checking.” Thanks for watching out for us, Frank!

He always wants to make sure we are getting our money’s worth. He runs quality assurance checks on the window blinds, opening and closing the slats to make sure the product is solid. No cheap blinds here, Franklin! He is also concerned about the quality and workmanship of our brand-new sofa and leather chair. He tests the fabrics to make sure they can withstand everyday wear and tear (and clawing). He wants to make sure we didn’t overpay for an inferior product. Thanks for looking out for our finances, Frankie! He uses his decorator’s eye and interior design skills to make our house look its best. He’s a minimalist. I thought that the carved wooden bird completed this display nicely, but Franklin assured me that it just doesn’t go. That sure saved me from an embarrassing faux paux!

But, Franklin's biggest job is snuggling and cuddling and giving comforting vibes. He practices every day. He’s getting really good at it. Franklin is a real sweetie pie. How could you not love that face?

His mamma is looking forward to summer break when she will come home from college and get to spend time with her baby. Franklin looks forward to the reunion, too. Meanwhile, it’s up to me, Grammaw to raise him right.

Frankie, Frankie, Frankie….Oh what would we do without you?!