The Curious Incident of the Kitten in the Nighttime

[xifeng]

Last night, X-chan drove up from Tennessee. I saw her pull into the driveway, so opened the door to let her in; she was carrying a Tupperware baking pan. The light wasn't too good, so she handed me the baking pan, and I made a joke about getting Tupperware for Christmas.

l33: It's just what I've always wanted!
X-chan: I wouldn't hold it too close to you. Also I'd wash my hands. It's got poop in it.
l33: Poop.
X-chan: Yup.
l33: You brought us poop for Christmas. This isn't your poop, is it?
X-chan: No, but I do have a surprise for you! :D
l33: Oh? Is it pee?
X-chan: No! It's out in the car. I'll go get it now. :D :D :DDDD

Presently, X-chan returned with a cat carrier. At first, I thought, "Why the hell did she bring the SpastiCat home with her?", given that X-chan is happy to leave the SpastiCat to her own devices for a few days if it's a short trip, and then, when X-chan set it on the dining room table, it became obvious that this was not the SpastiCat.

l33: Is this. Is this a KITTEN???
(For those of you who just met me earlier this year, my last cat died in '09 and I wasn't ready until a couple of months ago to think about getting another one. I figured it would be sometime in 2011, but the lolmom and I had wanted to pull up the carpet in the living room etc.)
X-chan: Yes. Don't worry, Mom knows. :D

The kitten is black and white (X-chan kept calling her "little tuxedo cat") and gives the impression of being carbonized on the top and undercooked on the bottom. We are pretty sure it's a girl, though obviously we're going to have the vet make sure. X-chan thinks the kitten is about 3-4 months old, though neither of us has had a kitten in years so we're not sure; she's friendly and sociable, not afraid of people, and basically stalked X-chan until the latter gave in. The new surroundings were very interesting to her, but she let me pet her and purrs obligingly, and we think she can be trusted not to repeat Callice's toileting offenses. She is slightly damaged; something bad has happened to her tail (it looks like it was run over or possibly like something took a big chomp out of her there), but the injury has healed (she doesn't cry or run away if her tail is touched), and it may need to be amputated, but I'll let the vet make that determination. She's also a sneezy little thing and has some discharge coming from one eye; since the injury to her tail is healed, X-chan thinks she was likely deliberately neglected or turned out of doors and that she's not someone's beloved pet who got out or ran away, and I'm inclined to agree.




We're not very good at holding still yet, which is why this photo was blurry.


The kittybeast scratches her ear. You can kind of see the issue with her tail here.


I was trying to show her pretty green eyes (which, admittedly, will be prettier when that gunk is cleared up; Christy thinks it's cat flu and some antibiotics should take care of it), but the flash startled her, so.


Still not that great at holding still. You can see her tail more clearly here.



Orders of business:
augustuscaesar, thank you for the v-gift :D

forgottensanity, I received your package but have not opened it yet, in a rare show of restraint (also, KITTEN). Thank you :D

Finally, I leave you with this, the second greatest Christmas story ever told. (The greatest Christmas story ever told is "Duel in the Snow, or, Red Ryder Versus the Cleveland Street Kid", by Jean Shepherd.)

Everybody have a happy Saturday, since people of all cultures and creeds can agree that tomorrow is that, and if Tara makes a smart remark about her hemisphere and time zones I shall take her away and have caponata shoveled down her throat and THAT will show her. :P

Comments

[dethorats]

Kitten! She's very cute and I'm glad she's now in a good home! As a recent kitten owner myself, I'm impressed with your ability to put her down long enough to take pictures! Jamie has to put up with being snuggled constantly.

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

Isn't she, though?! The pictures really don't do her justice! She doesn't know me yet (we think she's waiting for X-chan to come home), but she has started to trot to me for pets, and she let me pick her up earlier (though she did struggle to be put down after a few seconds). I tried to pet her with one hand and get a picture with the other, but that didn't work out too well. XD

[tara]

KITTEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

(Shh don't tell Cat or she will come to the States to STEAL her!)

[forgottensanity.livejournal.com]

THOSE ARE LIES WHICH YOU SPEAK!!!

The cat will come willingly when I lure her away!

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

I KNEW YOU WERE PLOTTING AGAINST ME!!! (As ever, really.)

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

YES KIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNN

(I know, we can't trust Cat, can we!)

[forgottensanity.livejournal.com]

OMG IT'S TOTALLY A KITTEN!!11!!

That is totally awesome and possibly the best Christmas present 4EV3R.

And it's a morgancat, so that's all for the better. :-D

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

OMG YES!!!! KITTEN!!1oneone!!!1111kitten!!!!one :DDDD

She totally is the best Christmas present EVAR. Well, that and my job, without which I could not support her.

She is a morgancat, isn't she? I hadn't thought of that, but it's true.

[anjala.livejournal.com]

OMG! She's so adorable. I do feel sorry about her tail, but she looks like she's ready to love you. She reminds me so much of my Emma...

[shake-the-stars.livejournal.com]

She's certainly ready to be loved ^_^ Her tail is a sad, bedraggled little thing, but she doesn't seem to be in any pain, and we don't think it was the result of abuse, so that's always a plus.