In Which the Menagerie Expands

A few weeks ago I heard an insistent mewing at our porch door. Wondering how our house cat had gotten out, I quickly opened it asking in a puzzled tone, "Calvin, what are you doing out here?"

Much to my surprise, a tiny face looked up at me and inquired, "May I come in?" To which I replied, "Why certainly, my dear. What's one more mouth to feed?" Well, it was dark and rainy and she was so scrawny looking. I thought it was a neutered male until I donned my reading glasses and took a closer look. Oops. Sorry about that. Or should I say, "Uh oh."

Meet Lucy

We hung some posters on telephone poles and in convenience stores, the result of which was a rash of crank calls from local boys (bored with their video games, no doubt) stuttering, "Uh...we found your cat. Nyuk nyuk." Hm. Guess they need extra help in reading comprehension as the posters said, "Found kitten."

Looks like she may have been abandoned. Too bad. She's a sweet kitty, and after the initial "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?!!" by Calvin, they seem to have grown accustomed to one another to point of even sleeping together.

The downside is that Calvin has replaced us as his playmates with Lucy. No more hide and seek. No more hiding under the coffee table and pouncing on us as we enter the room. No more games of "BOO!" No more lying on the landing and smacking us in the head as we go down the stairs. Anna's not happy about that but I don't think we are quite ready to adopt a pony or puppy for her just yet. I'm glad they get along so well. Calvin is actually affectionate with her.

Just love that long-suffering look on her face. "What I put up with for room and board." A couple minutes later she gave him a good smack across the puss and knocked him onto the floor.

We brought her to the vet who gave her a clean bill of health. She is very small for her age which he thinks may be around two years or a bit less. Until he checked her teeth, he thought - as did we - that she was about six months old. I've been feeding her several times a day to build her up since she's so thin, and it looks like she's gaining weight, but........is it from an increase in calories, or.......what do you think? Is she - ahem - shall we say, with kitten?