Our new baby... it's a boy!

Our new baby... it's a boy!, a photo by Quilter Bear on Flickr.

We have yet ANOTHER new member of the family! Both Bear and I have had kitten fever the last few days, but hadn't said anything about it to one another. We have been visiting a neighbor down the street who has 17 cats in all, including her renter who lives in the downstairs part of her 2 story duplex. She also has a dog that is half coyote! She is the most lovable thing, though we were scared of her at first when she had escaped from the fenced-in yard. She met us in the road, and we were afraid she'd attack Bella. Au contrair (oops, forgot how to spell that!) - she came up to Bella wagging her tail and being friendly and BELLA was the one who was on guard. They made friends immediately, however, and now we visit her, the cats, and the woman who owns the house (and the renter, too!) quite often. We even know most of the cats by name now. There are two litters involved, at different ages, and several adults.

Well, I was even contemplating asking if we could have one of the kittens. I'd not discussed it with Bear, mainly because I was sure he would be against it. Yesterday, there was a little kitten who looked so much like Sylvie at the fence between Jay and Cari's yard and ours. Cari picked it up and brought it to us to cuddle. I wanted it right then and there, but said nothing.

Tonight, after our nightly excursion with the dogs (we take a route that goes to the end of a road near us, well, to the place it changes to gravel anyway - it is a mile round trip), we were coming near to that house with the many cats. It is actually on the corner of the road we live on and the one we take to the end of the pavement and back. As we neared the house, there was that little Sylvie look-alike! It followed me/us to the corner, where I turned into the little parking area for the house. Out came the neighbor, who I'll call Missy, and she gave me a paper with her name and number on it. I had given her one of our cards a couple of days ago with our phone number and email, etc. She told us she would pick up anything we needed on her way home any time, as she is out and about every day.

I told her the little kitten had followed us home the night before, after our excursion (better word than "walk"), and she said "oh, that's not one of mine!" I said, "well, we really like it it." Bear said something to the effect that we were going to take it home! I looked at him and nodded. Yay, we still think alike sometimes!

I asked her to pick it up for me, and to see if she could tell the gender. A male, definitely a male (I looked to confirm it and yes, he is). Good! They are cheaper to neuter! So home he came, and he still doesn't have a name. We are hoping for suggestions! He is actually not a pure tuxedo like Sylvie, but a tuxedo/tabby mix, as you can see the stripes through the black. There is some white under the black (like the thick, soft undercoat) on his neck, so it makes it look like he has gotten into flour or powder on the back of his head and neck.

NOTE: we have a name! Stormy Milo, and we'll probably call him Milo most often.