Meet Festus!

We are now a kitty family! We brought this baby home tonight (in a February thunderstorm) and he was terrified in the box - but he turned sweet so fast at our house!

Today we confirmed that he could be the kitty for us - sending us into a frenzy of preparation (great excuse for Mommy to mobilize the small workforce - must get the house clean for our new pet - don't want him to eat those legos, eh?). My funny Mom says "will coming home to a clean floor encourage him to keep it clean?" Well, I wouldn't know, I've never had a kitty before.

We made him cat-toys out of mismatched socks (no shortage here!) and yarn - he has 4 (I made one, too!) little pretend mice to play with - and he likes them already!

Ruby did have to cry a couple of times today. First, because this kitten is a boy, not a girl. Then, because Daddy declared "if we get a cat, I get to name it and the name is Festus" - and that has stuck. Ruby prefers cuddles. She thought of another good name Thunder Catches - because of the thunder we were hearing and because he will surely do good catches of mice. But it's just Festus. She aquiesced on the ride home. She likes this kitten and his name.

He has made everybody his favorite except Mommy (I'm OK so far, but I can feel enormous jealousy looming - I am, after all, the one who pushed this issue and asked Santa for a kitten very persistently - he better love me).

First he loved Ruby, gave her the first rub-around-the-legs. We think it's maybe b/c of her footy-jammies w/ cats on them? And surely her graciousness with accepting his maleness and name.

When Kevin sprawled on the floor, Festus came right over and rubbed on his head. That is nice. Like "hey, thanks for giving in, I'll make you really like me."

Then he did a funny hopping trick like "oh, I like you, I will hop so I'm a little closer to your dangly fingers" when he rubbed around Peter's legs.

Isaac was nearly asleep on the couch - so we went up to bed at 8 and the boys introduced him to the game "jump on my bed and pretend you'll sleep with me". I think he might still be up there. How do you find a cat in your house?

They claim he's already litter-trained - well, I'll believe it in the morning. We'll have to take more photos!