Adding a Pound

I hate that Summer days rush by faster than Winter days, but I'm doing my best to soak up every minute of them. Have big news of late. After three+years of cohabitating with us, my mother in law just moved into her own apartment. That is exciting for her and cool for us too. I actually love my mother in law. She's not your typical nosey, give her opinion whether you want it or not type of mother in law. Rather, she was a great addition here, always willing to house-sit, baby-sit, pet-sit or help wherever else needed. She was a joy to have around, not to mention being a great sounding board when I was having an off day.

But she decided after a life of living with and relying on someone else, she wanted to try living alone. I can appreciate this because I lived alone for a long time and loved it. And though I love her very much and welcome her back at any point, there is something nice about having our house back to our immediate family only. So about a week ago, we helped her move to an apartment. And it was then that our immediate family grew by one. One pound, that is.

After pulling into the parking lot, we hopped out, ready to muscle up the couch to her (thankfully) ground floor apartment. And it was then that a welcoming sentry called to us from outside my mother in law's new front door: the soft, squeaky meow of a baby kitten too soon away from her mother and too long away from food.

A calico sprite no bigger than your hand beckoned us. She couldn't have been more than 4, 4 1/2 weeks old and was the sweetest thing. We scooped her up and with eyes that couldn't be refused, I turned to John. No way could I leave her behind. I knew this about myself; he knew this about me. Chase had her named before we got her back home: Snickers, in honor of her black and brown coloring and sweet self.

My two Biggie-sized cats were not thrilled with the newcomer and were audible with their displeasure. But just a couple days in, Raven--the mushier, sweeter of the two--had already adapted and was playing with the kitten and having a big time. Max--the larger and more ornery of the two--still cares not for a fellow feline a fraction his size. But he's learning to tolerate, if not exactly like, the little fluff. Dr Adams, the world's greatest vet, cleared her of all terrible feline diseases, weighed her officially as a scale-tipping one pound, and she was flea and smell-free, leading me to believe she isn't feral but simply left in a populated area for some kindhearted sucker to take in. That's me: the sucker.

So Megan's Menagerie has grown by one. Meet the Snicker doodle: