Introducing Foofie, Fluffy, Hildy . . . er Cookie!

We have a new family member! About three weeks ago we took the plunge and finally got Audrey the kitten she has been begging for. It was a belated 7th birthday gift. Belated because summer was so crazy and then we decided to dig big holes in our front yard and basement. There was no need to add a kitten to that chaos.

This tiny little tuxedo kitten was Audrey's first pick at the Humane Society. I was nervous because she apparently had been sick and in a foster home and she seemed waaaaay too mellow and borderline lethargic at the shelter. I was trying to coax Audrey to go for one of the more active tiger kitties. But this was Audrey's pick. I needed to stay out of it. We had to wait a day to pick her up since she had not yet been spayed.

Boy, was my first impression completely off base. This cat is NUTS! She's playful, skittish, friendly, adventurous and all kitten-ey wrapped into one little fur ball.

We're still getting to know one another and the girls are learning how to handle her. Her initial name was Hildy . . . but I think Audrey was simply feeling the pressure and picked the first name that popped into her head (which also happens to be the name of the last cat we had). That lasted for a short while before the girls were calling her everything under the sun. Curt and Vivian still call her just "kitty."

Vivian: "Mommy, there's the kitty." (Even when the cat is sitting right next me. Viv loves to announce the cat's whereabouts.)

We held a naming session one afternoon and landed on the name "Cookie." I was going for "Oreo" but Audrey didn't like it. Cookie it is!

Now if kitty/Cookie would just stop sleeping on Curt's face, we'll all be much happier.