Thursday, April 8, 2010

My husband fell in love with someone younger, cuter and hairier


It was bound to happen. We've turned 40, and Steve hit his mid-life crisis and found himself someone new. We went volunteering the other night, and there was a litter of five kittens. Graham and I played with the kittens, the other cats, and Steve just kept holding on to this little one while she licked his arm and then curled up and fell asleep.

And then we put all the cats away, and there Steve sat with this cat on his lap for another half an hour, a goofy, blissed-out expression on his face. "Take her home, Dad," Graham said. "I don't care," I said. Steve thought, and thought, and thought.

See, he has wanted a black cat since we got our first one (Kitty) for Graham. And then I brought home the infamous thread thief, Boo. And Steve would always stop and look at the black cats in the pet store and say how he got to pick out the next cat.

"They're a lot of responsibility," he said.

"We have a big house and plenty of time. Harrison moved out, and Graham's not far behind."

"We already have two cats," he said.

"She's teenie," I said. "She hardly counts as a full cat -- she's more like half a cat."

"They live a long time," he said.

"If you don't get this cat now, you're going to regret it, and it'll be a long time until we're down to one cat again."

"Come on, Dad," said Graham.

Steve was quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Then he said: I say, "Yes."

And we took her home. And she's wonderful, and sweet, and funny, and she comes when you call for her. And the other cats are starting to tolerate her already. She's got the prettiest teal-colored eyes, and her little toenails look like rice grains against her black feet, and she's quick to purr, and slow to hiss. She probably weighs less than two pounds right now (my hand will go almost all the way around her midsection). And no accidents so far (alleluia!!!) She's perfect, and we love her already.

But what to name her...? Ideas?

35 comments:

virtuegrace@aol.com said...

How about Polka Dot? Wouldn't that be perfect for a beautiful black cate. JoAnn

HollyXSing said...

I like Cosmo!

-Holly

Kathy said...

Name for kitty. BLISS She just looks so peaceful and calm.

Theresa said...

Just FYI: A few of the names I've liked so far: Sprite, Dot, Jelly Bean, Peep, and Chloe. We are trying to come up with Easter names, since we got her the day after Easter, but I have a friend whose cat's name is Lily, so that won't work.

Kathy said...

She is a sweet little baby.

She is gentle you say. You want an Easter oriented name. How about Mary, after the Mother of Jesus? Or Bunny? As in Easter Bunny. Then there is Daddy's little Princess. After all she is DH's kitty and daddy's little girl. :)

JennR said...

sweetie...

Anyway. Our black cat with greeny-gold eyes is called Jiji (after the cat in Kiki's Delivery Service, although he was Skimbleshanks or Sproing for a while. :)

Unknown said...

How 'bout Trix (the bunny from the old cereal). She is just darling - I miss having a kitten. Our sweet Smokie is 12 and still full of spunk but a kitten would be a good addition.

natalysneedle said...

She looks like an Ellie to me!

Anonymous said...

Well, if you say she's perfect, how about naming her Purrfect?

Annette said...

I like Peep LOL

My first thoughts (before seeing the comment around an Easter theme) was Shadow or Jet.

She is lovely :)

mainely stitching said...

Oh gosh, she is so cute!! I had a kitten named Tweet once, long ago, and loved her dearly. ;0

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Not unique or especially creative, but I like Shadow...

Marjorie said...

Our neighbors had a black kitty named Magic, and I always thought that was a perfect name for a black cat.

Unknown said...

Shadow - because she's little

Bagheera - because it's a cool name for a black panther.

Catherine said...

What a cutie! I like Peep or Chick!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Because we had a miniature black schnauzer that my son named Snowball - he was in first grade and thought it was funny! We thought it was funny too and turns out, we loved it, as did everyone else, I vote you call her Snowball or Snowy! Why go for the obvious?

Unknown said...

The first thing that popped in my head when I saw the picture was "Scout" from . She looks like she would have that kind of personality!

She is a beauty...reminds me of my sweet Winnie (Winifred Abigail) who my sister lost on the way to the vet years ago! So sad...but, I am very happy for your DH that he has a little purrrrr-box of his own to love!

HAPPY STITCHIN'
Terri

Unknown said...

Blasted blogspot...that was supposed to say "from To Kill a Mockingbird," but don't know what happened! LOL!

Irene said...

Someone already mentioned "Bunny" and I do like that one. When my niece's daughter was 3 she asked Santa for a cat and said she had the name picked out "Freckles". As hard as my niece tried she could only find a black cat, they still named her Freckles :)

Kiwiflowa said...

What an adorable addition to the family - I'm so jealous!

Our female feline is called Cleo and I think it's the perfect name for a cat. Of Course!

The next cat we get (years away) I want to call Jasper.

Jacqueline Korteland Boller said...

I had a cat named Midnight who was black when I was little...he was a cutie pie too!

Anonymous said...

She is absolutly beautiful, I thought "Hattie", then she could be Hattie Hattiesburg! Or Scarlet was another one I liked because it sounds dark and velvety. Love from, Julia in England.

diamondc said...

Such a sweet face how about Little Bit she is tiny and so cute.
Congratulations on your new addition to your family.
My Verne the Cat thinks she is simply beautiful.
Catherine.

natalysneedle said...

My sister in law had 2 black cats--
one was Phantom and the other was Astro. You could always go with April

Sandra said...

Isn't she adorable. I would name her Ebony if she were mine.

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

She's a princess now, but one day she'll be Queen, I'd think I'd name her Cleopatra, but call her Cleo :)

Or maybe Isa for Isadora :)

marylin & poussy said...

Hello, I do not understand any bus I am French, but this kitten is any pussy
Best regards

Anonymous said...

Friend of ours named their black cat "midnight" and it fit her perfectly.

Happy name hunting,
Pam

Casa Pearl said...

What about Mercy?

Kellie said...

We have four cats... Midnight (black female), Scout, Boo, and Jimmy. I like Annie too (as in Little Orphan Annie). As for an Easter name... Mary is cute. Maggie for Magdelene maybe. What about Sunday (as in Easter Sunday) or Anastasia (which is supposed to mean Resurrection)?

Good luck. She is a cutie!!

MelissaD said...

I like descriptive names and a black cat makes me think of Halloween so I like Shadow, Inky, Velvet, Echo, Scully or Spooky (X-Files fan :).
For Easter though I do like Peep, Truffle or Bunny.
Trix kind of goes with both - Tricks and the cereal bunny :)

pamelaric said...

I like "Cindy." This is short for Cinders (black) which is short for Cinderella. Quite clever if I do say so myself. lol She is just amazingly beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful, long, life together.
Pamela

Anonymous said...

How about Beth - short for Bethlehem - I know it's Easter you are looking for - but thought you might consider it. First I was thinking "Roux" until I read Easter idea. dkirk@frontiernet.net

Robin S. said...

Is there anything cuter than a kitten? What a beautiful little girl. Good luck choosing a name...so many wonderful suggestions have been made already.

Congrats on the new addition to your family!

Leanna said...

I am thinking of how this little creature came into your family...If that beautiful kitty were mine, I would name her VENUS. She IS beguiling, isn't she!!