We Interrupt These Proceedings For: Maya and Dante
Many of you asked and indeed you were right to do so. There’s no way we can keep a secret as good as this under wraps, and besides it would be cruel to hide these pictures from my most dedicated readers for too long.
So here goes…
Our next long-term adventure has started…
The introduction of two little fur-balls to our little family of paws….
Say hello to Maya and Dante, two little kittie cats born in the wild and now part of our lives for ever more.
Aren’t they just too darn cute?
How Did We Get Them?
Like all our animals they simply came to us.
In this particular case our neighbor down the way found four little kittens that a feral cat had given birth to and abandoned. They nurtured and raised them, kept two and asked us an innocent question:
“Would you like two little kittens?”
From which followed that one fateful response:
“Well….maybe I’ll just come have a look?”
HA! Yeah well, we all know how that story goes right?
Two days later they were in the house bouncing around, wrecking havoc and winding their devious little way into our hearts. Within a week they’d made themselves comfortable, a massive cat tree had been erected in the corner of our room, 24 aluminum foil balls had been made and mysteriously “lost”, a curtain had been sacrificed and they were most definitely a permanent part of the family.
Such suckers we are…..
Dante and Maya
For names for our new beauties we went towards the philosophical and literary this time around.
Dante for the more chill and reflexive ginger and white tabby, Maya for the bright and outgoing brown tortoise. We thought in fact we had a boy and a girl simply because the chances of getting two female ginger tabby’s in a lifetime (Taggart was also a girl) are infinitely small, meaning for all intents and purposes it’s just never gonna happen.
Also, for those not “in the know” it’s actually hard to tell in little kitties what sex you’ve got (really it is!).
So it was rather a shock when I took them to the vet this week and found out we have TWO girls. Inconceivable! Another full female fur-family, which I like to think is Taggart coming back to have her say.
Despite this little twist we decided to stick with the names. Dante had gotten used to her name, which means “enduring” or “everlasting” in Italian (Dantea technically being the feminine version, but who’s to say Dante isn’t just the shortened version eh?) and the two names together just had such a pleasant ring to them.
So yeah, Dante and Maya it is. Our two new little girls.
They’re Quite the Pair
Anyone who has ever owned cats know that their personalities are very individual, and you can already tell from kittenhood what they’ll be like.
Dante is a chill and lovely cat, her fur soft as a cloud. She’s outgoing, follows her sister in everything and doesn’t have much fear. She was the first to touch noses with Polly and just did it automatically, like it was the most natural thing in the world. She plays and eats like a champ and already has her favorite sleeping spots picked out. When she’s happy she purrs and meows in the cutest little voice. “More petting please, mom”.
Maya is crazy and crazy bright. She’s the most food-motivated cat I’ve ever met; I’ve already taught her to come, follow my finger, and high five. She’s wonderfully inquisitive too, but she’s also super cautious and will study new things from afar before deciding to join in. There’s no fooling this cat! When she gets into a crazy mood she runs like a lightning streak, but when she’s chillaxed she’ll lie on my stomach and purr so deeply you wonder how such sound can come out of such a little body.
And of course the two fight, and chase each other and love each other and fall asleep in each others arms like ying and yang when they’re all puttered out.
Polly Is Curious, And Getting Used To Them
Polly has definitely been very curious about these two new little squirmy things.
There was lots of watching, a few small growls at first, and then the first tail wag when I brought them back from the vet the other day….yes!
She’s also quickly realized (smart doggie that she is) that new cats means regular cat-food-bowl cleanup, something she has not enjoyed since Taggart and Rand passed. This has warmed her to the idea of these two new fast-moving things, even though she still isn’t always completely sure of them.
At this stage I’d say the cats and Polly are still in the “getting to know each other” phase. They’ve accepted each other (no growls, no cat hisses) and have even started to look for each other when they’ve been apart for a while. Plus I think Polly is quietly enjoying the new life in the house (she’s pepped up quite a bit recently).
Good signs that this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
So, We Are Once Again 12 Paws
Some things in life are fated, and I do believe pets are part of that. We’ve never gone looking for any our animals (they’ve all come to us), and although we’ve resisted for oh-so-long in getting more cats I guess in the end it was just destined to be.
So yeah, here we are once again with 12 paws and although I don’t know what my future will hold, I now know for sure that Dante and Maya will be part of it.
They are so darn cute and adorable! I love cats!
What a beautiful story! Enjoy your new kitties! We had mama and her 3 kitties “rescue” us in 2020 & they are now a beautiful part of our lives.
Karen
Awww! Yay for kitties and a big, furry, happy family!
Congratulation! They are adorable and so different, which makes life more fun! Looks like they fit right in. Glad to hear Polly is accepting, and more importantly they have given her some additional excitement in her life. Long, happy and healthy lives to all!!!!
Super happy for you. I have had at least two cats for years. I dwindled to zero and felt totally empty. Ended up adopting a Boston Terrier puppy and OH MY GOSH, life changing experience. Cats are SO MUCH easier. What was I thinking? Anyways, the way these fur babies take over our hearts so fast is amazing. My whole life seems to revolve around my little Penny Poppins. I am thinking of getting another cat at some point, but we are changing RVs and I need to be sure I can gather up all of the paws and travel well together. We will see! You sound elated, and well, it was just meant to be!
Yay! Kittens are so much fun and it’s interesting that old Polly girl has a renewed spring in her step! A nice unintended benefit! I know you’ll enjoy them and now traveling in the “new” van will be extra exciting, eh?
HOORAAAAY!!!! I can never have enough kitty love. You were right to cede to the demands of the people.
Congrats! I love torties and orange cats. I’m looking forward to all the photos.
OMG!! How amazing… Dante and Maya, you have just scored the BEST paw-parents ever!!
And I can’t believe you’ve found a cat more food motivated than Kiki 😀
Ah! Kittyhood! Too adorable for words. Congratulations on your return to 12 paws and 4 legs
Thank you for not making us wait. That happens with proud pet parents. What beautiful girls. Kittens are such good entertainment and companions. So happy you have cats in your lives and in Polly’s too. Enjoy!!
I am so glad for you. They are adorable. During the pandemic we had two female kittens show up on our very rural porch. Covid and Booster they have been keeping us busy.
LOL, very appropriate names
OMG Nina, those BB’s are adorable !! Love kitties PRN ❤️❤️
They are both adorable and I am so happy for you guys! Here’s to many years of so-loud-its-weird purring and completely wrecked curtains! Congratulations!!
They are adorable ❣️
Can’t believe you waited this long!
It was meant to be, congrats!!
You two are wonderful pet parents!!! Those 2 kitties just won the lottery becoming a part of your family!!!
Enjoy their antics!! What a fun time for all of you!!
Will you take them on drives in the rv so they can become good travel companions?
Thanks for sharing!!
OMG! Aren’t they adorable? The pictures are great, especially the one with Polly looking at them!
Yes, more cat pics! Yay!!!!
Kittens! Oh how I miss having kittens around. Still can’t convince Mo to deal with the kitty box again, but maybe someday. We can’t have outdoor cats here because of critters and cars on a fast country road. I always had indoor/outdoor kitties but in the last few years had to revert to all indoor and that was for safety. I wonder if in the countryside of France if you can let your kitties outdoors. Jeremy loved to go outdoors when we were camping and never ran off in his later years. Even here around home I could let him out, but always with me with him and never never never overnight. Eek. Lucky kitties to have you and Paul and Polly to let them know what the good life is all about.
Wow I know how much fun these two new additions will bring you and Paul. Can’t wait to see Polly napping with two new friends cuttled up next to her.
Awwww…..so sweet! So happy for all of you. When they show up, you really have no choice, do you? Magnolia came running out of the woods at four months old a year-and-a-half ago, and we’ve never regretted a moment of letting her adopt us, LOL. So much joy!