The Kitten Quest

Kitties!

So yesterday I had had enough waiting around for kittens to fall into my lap. I'd tried the bigger adoption agencies, but realized I needed to branch out. So this is what the Internet is for. Back in the day you had to go to the Humane Society or scour the paper or know someone who's cat gave birth. Now you Google.

So I Googled things like "kitten adoption" or "kittens for sale" and eventually came across an ad for a small-time rescue agency. She traps feral cats, gets them vet attention, fixes them and adopts them out. I saw pictures I really liked of two female kitties a few months in age and made a call. She asked me some questions about my pet-owning criteria (no declawing, how long I planned to keep them, past ownership) and she said I could get them that day.

And I was not prepared. And so of course I said yes.

We made an appointment to meet at her place for 9:00. I called the Dude to tell him I'd found us kittens. He was jazzed, being the cat lover he is, and we started strategizing. We'd rent a zip car to pick them up, I'd run out to withdraw the adoption fee and buy some supplies: litter box, litter scoop, food, carrier, toys...

We got totally lost en route to see them. My fault, my fault... There are a variety of reasons I don't have a license. My inability to understand directions is one of them. If it's straightforward, I'm okay. As soon as a road has something particular about it, an unusual turn or whatever, forget it. Just forget it. We had to call three times to sort it out. The Dude, god love 'im, was patient about it, if not a little unimpressed.

So we get there with the bright pink carrier I just bought and met the girls. They were shy and nervous, but not aggressive. Their faces were to die for and they were very soft. I was going to name the blonde-orange one Pumpkin, and leave the pastel calico to the Dude to name. He likes people names for pets and I like cliches.

But Pumpkin didn't seem to suit this blonde kitty and I named the calico Sprinkles. Yes, Sprinkles. Try saying that without smiling. It's impossible. And the blonde was named Beatrice. So it's Beatrice and Sprinkles, who are now living under the couch.

We've got their food, litter, toys and carrier in the living room. Once they're comfortable enough to leave their cave of dustbunnies, we'll start introducing them to the rest of the apartment. They've had quite an exciting life so far. First they were strays, then they went into a shelter, then into a foster home with a bunch of animals and then to the lady's house where we picked them up. And they only moved there a week ago. So they'll be needing some time to adjust.

So the kitten quest is over, and now it's time to earn some love. I keep thinking about that commercial about adopting pets and how the dog doesn't want to play ball and the voiceover says the best part about adopting a pet is when they adopt you. When they come out and trust us enough to want to get to know us, I'll be so happy. And then of course I'll have some pictures to share.