Pumpkin. Or Wags. Or...?

In September, at the birthday party for my friend Colette's father, I had a conversation with her young neice, Sedona. We bonded for a moment over that fact that we were both going to get kittens soon. Sedona had been waiting for her kitten for a long time and was keeping her fingers crossed that her parents would come through on their promise. She had, after all, done all that had been requested of her--cleaning the litter box for their current cat, taking care of her room, and generally being a "good girl" (which isn't too hard for Sedona). I, of course, had no such requirements to fulfill. I just started talking about the four-week old fluffball at our neighbor's house as if he were already mine. Somebody, maybe it was Mary, asked, "Are you really getting a kitten?" and John simply rolled his eyes and said, "It's a done deal." If I were Sedona's age, I would have squealed. Maybe I did anyway.

I waited until we got back from California to fetch him. He's about eight-weeks old now and as cute and cuddly as can be. My granddaughter Maria has seen (and wrangled) him many times on our visits across the road. I asked her what we should name him and she suggested Pumpkin since he is orange (kinda). I am willing to let that be his name if she still thinks it fits. He has this darling habit of wagging his tail like a dog when he walks, though. It seems to signal a naming opportunity. We'll see.

Clarabelle is, well, pissed off. As to be expected. She growls and hisses at him and sits sullenly across the room, glaring in his direction. The kitten is oblivious, given that he's grown up around several cats. I know Clarabelle, and I think she'll settle down soon enough. She acts normal upstairs when he is downstairs and out of sight/smell. I'm giving her lots of attention and keeping it light. "Nothing to see here! Move along folks!"

So, here he is, sitting on the shelf of the computer docking station. How freakin' cute is that?I haven't had a kitten in so long. They play with anything. It's like having a baby--you can give them the keys from your purse and they're like, "Wow! fascinating!" It is delightful to have him here. He is mellower than your normal kitten, too, again from the fact that he's been raised outside with other cats. As I write this, he is sleeping on the same computer shelf. Take the photo above and curl him up in a ball and close his eyes. And then feel your blood pressure drop.

And yes, Sedona got her kitten, too. But of course she did!