Tres, The Cat

"Tres" is Volume #3 in the Nash "Black Cat Trilogy" (hence, the name "Tres" which is Spanish for "three.") The first two cats in the series did not end well: one because of disease and the other because of coyotes or an alien abduction or something. And for my youngest child, who dreams of one day being a vet, a kitty, and particularly a black kitty, is practically a requirement.
Tres is a free spirit who embraces her "outside cat" and rarely sneaks into the house, unlike Friendly, her 18 pound counterpart. And not only that, for about a year Tres was a boy cat until I took him to the vet to be neutered and discovered that "he" was really a "she". The technician called me the morning of his surgery to break the news: "Did you know that Tres is a girl and she is already in heat?" To which I responded, "What?! Are you sure? [As if a vet wouldn't be able to know that.] I've never really become acquainted with his. . .er. . .her nether regions. So. . . I guess that changes things, right?" Yeah, about a $70 dollar extra charge change of things.

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You see, originally, when Black Cat Vol. 2 disappeared mysteriously, and it became obvious that he was probably in the Great Litter Box Beyond, the youngest one's tears started to flow. So my strong, manly husband caved in and promised her a Vol. 3 cat. And it just so happened that one of his co-worker's cats had just downloaded a litter of black kittens a few weeks earlier. I love animals, but I did not want our own little "sequel maker", so my only requirement was that they bring home a male cat who would live outside. (You may recall some of my previous encounters with our other "outside" cat, Friendly, who chooses not to believe that his home is on the other side of our kitchen door.) So Little One and Dad picked out a frisky little male kitten and she named him Tres. Problem was that this little kitty was beyond frisky-- it was more like a demon cat from H-E-"double hockey sticks". Once new-kitty came to our house it went berserk and literally climbed up my leg. (I can't be sure that Friendly did not have something to do with this. Perhaps a whisper in new-kitty's ear about his two predecessors.) So if Vol. 3 was to survive and avoid an untimely end, and my legs were to avoid looking like shredded wheat, something had to be done, and quickly. So, a deal was struck, and Tres went back to momma cat for a few more weeks of maturing. When he returned, he was larger and much, much sweeter, and we even commented on the difference in personality. I asked, "This doesn't even seem like the same cat, does it? Now are you sure this is a boy-cat?" To which my dear husband responded, "Of course it's a male. Gah, I grew up on a farm. Don't you think I would know?" Hmmmm.