And then there were eight

Yes, eight cats.  I solemnly swear that I adopted these guys with their well-being in mind, not because I just want a trillion cats.  The story begins around six-thirty yesterday evening, when my mother and I came home from work and from a munchie run.  I was blinded by a pair of headlights, and it turned out to be one of my neighbors.  He was carrying a black dog with blue eyes (a German Shepherd-husky mix, it turns out), and he wanted to warn me about the dog's escape antics.  In doing so he also told me that there was a young cat hanging around who liked to climb peoples' legs and purr.  "He's about half-grown," my neighbor said.  Sure enough, as I was unlocking the door this little feller bounded out of the shadows and tried to climb my leg.  With rain being in the forecast, I grabbed him up and ferried him inside.

When I peeped under the hood and discovered that my new pet is a boy I randomly trilled "it's a boy, Mrs. Walker, it's a boy!"  Hence his name, Tommy Walker.

Part two to the story began a few minutes later.  I left Tommy growling at the other cats and took my dogs out...and what do I hear coming from this same neighbor's yard but "mew, mew, mew"?  "Hmmm, does Tommy have a littermate?" I wondered.  I got the dogs back in the house and after multiple attempts I managed to catch Kitten #2.

Kitten #2 belongs to the same neighbors that own the German Shepherd-husky mix, and he bears a strong resemblance to Stormy, whom I once again captured from these same neighbors.  I ended up having to give Stormy back, and he's since grown up and run away, as cats often do.  Upon chatting with the neighbor I learned that Kitten #2 was not getting along well with the new dog and had thus been put outside.  The kitten had been crawling under the cars and getting out into the street, and after some deliberation the neighbor surrendered the kitten to me.  While I was incredulously discussing this story with my mother I randomly called this kitten Sir Lancelot, and that name has stuck.

So now my clowder is up to eight again, which will be no big deal for me as I've had eight before.  I know I said "no more small kittens" after Eddie and Arya died, but Lancelot needed my help and I wasn't going to turn him away.  Tommy and Lance are NOT littermates, by the way; Tommy is significantly bigger than Lance.

Y'all know what?  I think I need to sweep again, LOL!  No matter how many times I sweep I still keep finding more of my chinchilla's mess.  Anyway, both kittens spent most of the evening in my face wanting to be cuddled.  Lancelot has been well-kept by my neighbors, but Tommy has not been well-kept by anyone.  He's dirty and skinny, and his claws are all broken, and my neighbor was at a loss as to where he came from.  He DOES know what a litterbox is for, though (Lancelot does not).  Oh well, he won't stay dirty and skinny for long; he'll be fat and sleek and NEUTERED before he knows it!

Regarding my other cats, Bobbie, Chessie, and Allie are curious and making small attempts to be friendly, while Lola, Callie, and Lily are not.  Chessie is excited to have someone close to her in size (she herself is not yet fully grown), and Allie wants to play Mama Kitty, as she does with every kitten that comes to the Moon House.  Bobbie is the one who surprised me, as she's still quite shy and has not yet grown used to living in such a noisy house.  But she's meowing and bumping noses with the little ones, and she's even made an attempt to wash Lancelot.  As for the dogs, Bella wants to play and Sonic could take his young housemates or leave them.  Lancelot is more interested in cuddling with Bella than playing, and Tommy doesn't like dogs...yet.

So, looks like I've got one spay and two neuters in my future!  Chessie's prior owners did not spay her before tossing her out of their vehicle, so I'll have to do that unless I want her and Tommy getting friendly!  Pricey???  Maybe, but I can handle it.  As long as everyone stays healthy I should be fine.  The chief thing right now is having Tommy and Lancelot out of the rain and the cold that are supposed to move in tonight.

Peace, love, and purrs,
RagingMoon1987