Tangle

On September 3rd, while we were still homeless and staying at the Hampton Inn, I took the girls and our cat, Cricket, to visit the new house for our walkthrough and to let the piano movers in.

I had hoped to let Cricket get some much needed fresh air while the maid cleaned our room, but as soon as we got out of the car, a black kitten was crying in the bushes. He ran out to greet us, and was rubbing our legs, just begging for love. He had flea bites all over his ears and looked very hungry.

Fred said, "I see you've met Dammit. I saw him just after the workers stepped through the attic floor and fell through the garage ceiling (He'd already fixed the ceiling, but we need to paint it.), so the name seemed appropriate." Fred thought someone had dumped the cat here, and as much as he didn't want a pet, he felt sorry for it and fed it. Once you feed a cat, well, it's not going to leave.

We moved in and the kitten stuck around. After a flea/tick treatment, I let the girls play with him. We named him Tangle, after the way he always manages to get underfoot (with my cast, it was nearly impossible to walk without kicking him). He's a sweet cat--unfortunately Cricket still hates him. She's become an inside cat; she pretty much refuses to go outside with him around, and hisses whenever she sees him.

Our girls absolutely love Tangle. He's the most tolerant cat I've ever seen. He lets them maul him and haul him around, and he always comes back for more. He even walks with them to the bus stop.

James isn't keen on our new pet (neither is Cricket--first time those two have agreed on anything), but like it or not, we have a new family member!

Pictures: 1- First day of school, when Tangle was still "that stray kitten." 2- Ready for a bike ride. 3- On the back deck.