New Kitten!!! Meet Snorkle

From Tuesday, November 22, 2005

I am a cat magnet....they come to me, especially when they are sick. I don't know what it is but if there is a homeless animal in my area and it's in need of special attention, it somehow seems to find it's way to me.

So, two, maybe three weeks ago I'm getting into my car and Squeek runs out from under, no big deal I'm used to it. So then I'm pulling out of my driveway as usual after looking under my car cause I thought I saw something but didn't see anything in the end. When I get to the end of my driveway I see this orange ball of fur sitting there looking very innocent and unaware of what was going on...it was under my car and I could have run it over!

So I turn off my car where it is, partially in the street, and go to see about this little bitty kitten. When I get to it, I notice the eyes are pretty much glued shut by mucus that has dried up. I of course felt for the poor baby and took it inside, leaving it with Chris while I ran to do my errand and buy some milk since I knew of course I would be nursing the baby back to health.

Now then, my plan was to nurse it to health and then find a home for the kitten. I get a lecture from Chris, and my mom after I told her about it, how I shouldn't name the little one and I shouldn't plan on keeping it. In my defense, I already had it in my mind I wasn't going to keep it and I wasn't going to name it. I honestly was just going to nurse it to health and give it away. I just refused to leave the baby to the wild and end up finding it later flat in the road! I of course glared at Chris and my mom, though she couldn't see it through the phone, and told them both my plan.

So, after a day or so, I'm getting ready for bed, in fact I believe I was in bed when Chris comes in and proudly presents "Snorkel" to me. He had named the cat! Needless to say I was a bit perplexed at this new development. I went to sleep and the next day inquired about the name. I also made sure to ask that, since he had named the kitten, did this mean we were keeping him? Chris did his usual cutesy-ness and said no in a way that meant he was BS'ing me. He had every intention of keeping the kitten at this point.

I had diagnosed the kitten with the cat flu which is basically like a horrible sinus infection that makes him bleed mucus out of his eyes and nose continuously. Talk about poor baby! We had to keep him warm, make sure he got plenty of liquids and of course love cause nothing seems to heal an animal faster than love.

Well it's a few weeks later and Snorkle has healed, he still has a few sniffles but he's as playful and as cute, and being just as annoying as a 9-10 week old kitten should be. And of course we are keeping him. Squeek is less than thrilled about this and we are taking measures to make sure he still feels loved and appreciated through this process by bribing him with food as suggested by pet behavioral specialists. He seems to be reacting relatively well considering how jealous tends to get. Will of course update as things move along. :*)