The New Cat House On The Hill

It’s been almost a year now, Modern Philosophers, since Miss Luna left The House on the Hill for Kitty Heaven.

Over that time, I have carefully kept an eye on Cali to see if she was depressed or withdrawn because of the loss of her sister.

While Luna’s death devastated me, I vowed that if the right situation ever presented itself, I would definitely consider opening my heart and home to give Cali some company.  I didn’t want her to be lonely just because I was afraid of losing another beloved pet.

That situation presented itself on Wednesday.

My neighbor texted that her mother’s church was desperate to find a new home for two kitties whose owner had died unexpectedly.

I love animals, and the idea of these two poor fur babies going through such an incredible trauma and then having to go to the shelter broke my heart.

I made up my mind almost immediately that I was going to take them.  They were sisters, seven years old, indoor kitties, and the church didn’t want to see them separated.  I also knew that it’s much harder for older kitties to get adopted.

We went after work to meet them.  I was told their names were Coco and Cricket, which I thought was a sign because, when added to Cali, it would give me the 3 C’s.

Once we got to the camp where the kitties were staying, we discovered there was some confusion about the names.  We were told one was named Chop Chop or Choppy (what kind of name is that for a cat???), and no one was clear which name went with which cat.

So I made a mental note that the names had to change, too.

Even though it was a bit of a struggle to get the kitties to come out from under the couch, I brought them home.

I’d like you to meet Cleo…

Cleo has been difficult, but I understand.  She went through a very traumatic experience, and The House on the Hill is the fourth place she’s stayed in the last two weeks.

She did a lot of growling and hissing that first night.  Even managed to scratch me once.

Now, on her second full day here, she is sitting in the living room window as I type this.  Cleo has actually allowed me to pet her tonight, which made me very happy.  She has also been gobbling up kitty treats.

This is Cassie…

Cassie is very shy, and has been mostly staying under the couch, but she is coming out more often to explore.  Last night, she even jumped up into the high window in the master bedroom.  In fact, she just came out from under the couch, and is thinking about jumping into living room window Cleo has abandoned.

Cassie is happy to let me pet her, and actually comes over to me in search of contact.

I haven’t seen her eat yet, but a lot of the dry food was gone when I got home, so I’m hoping she has been filling her belly while I’m not watching.

GREAT NEWS!!!  I just crept into the kitchen to find Cassie eating!

Of course, Cali is as adorable as ever…

I’ve been worried about how my little black cat would react to her new sisters.  She had  me and the house all to herself for the past year, and we have definitely bonded.  She sleeps with me almost every night, she is constantly flopping in front of me in hopes of getting her tummy rubbed, and she loves sitting in my lap while I write.

I know she has been lonely since Luna passed away, but she has also settled into a comfortable life with me at The House on the Hill.

I feared I would disrupt all that.

Actually, I just had to run because Cleo finally decided to explore upstairs and Cali hissed at her when she reached the top of the stairs.  That confused me because Cali is usually the quiet, timid one.

Cleo is now hiding under the bed, and Cali is under her chair with her tail all puffed.  Cassie wisely fled in the opposite direction, eager to stay out of it.

It’s going to be an interesting weekend, but I’m excited at the prospect of expanding my little family.  And I’m so glad to be able to help a couple of sweet kitties in need.

Send some good thoughts my way, Modern Philosophers, as I try to get everyone settled in at The Cat House on the Hill…