The new man in my life......

He's sleek & angular...has almond-shaped green eyes...and he is black & white. His name is Vladimir Tepes Chandler, and he's my new four-month-old kitteh. After the death of my beloved Winston, I was certainly not ready for another cat in the house. However, my big black teddy-bear kitty Miyamoto Musashi has been so lonely since the passing of his brother. For days on end (and nights, too), Musashi would pad through the house crying out in pitiful mews and howls looking for Winston. Mushi has always been a rather quiet cat until Winston's absence from our home. It dawned on me one day when I watched my pit bulls, Akira & Achilles, lying on the bed together grooming each other. Mushi needed another feline companion.

Last Sunday Super D & I visited the Humane Society of Hall County to see the available kittens. I was nervous and skeptical that our first trip would yield a candidate, however, I went into the cat ward with an open mind. I had my heart set on a little female - possibly a calico. The entire cat ward was full of kittens & a handful of adult cats. So many to choose from! So many homeless cats & kittens.....

Super D stopped at a particular cage with a skinny black & white kitten with a blue collar. A boy. No, I wanted a girl. I kept looking, finding a rather boisterous solid gray girl who didn't particularly like being held. I then scooped up a young pretty calico girl, but she seemed so timid. We needed a bold & brave kitty who could quickly get used to two big dogs in the house. Super D kept petting the little black & white boy through the cage while I made my rounds. I was convinced that none of the kittens available were right for our household...but I was also still checking out the females....

Finally, I went to the cage where the little black & white guy was putting on his best performance - the performance of a lifetime. He was headbutting the cage bars, crying out in the cutest little voice EVER, & reaching his long, skinny arm through the cage to grab us. It was as if he was saying, "I'm the one! I want you to take me home!!!" I opened the cage & picked him up........and I was instantly in love. The kitten practically wrapped his arms around my neck & head-butted my chin, purring with his little outboard motor. Super D gave me a questioning look. "He's a boy, you know." I smiled. "I know. I don't care. He's the one."

The moment Vladimir set foot (or paw) into our house, he took charge. He courageously took on the two pits when they sniffed him curiously, his sharp little daggers poised to defend himself. He also never backed down to Musashi's warning growls and hisses. Vlad quickly became the alpha animal within hours of arriving in his new home.

Vladimir is a very fitting name, for he has sharp little claws that will impale your skin (or a pit bull's jowls). He is brave and defensive. He reminds me so much of my Winston...perhaps that is why he spoke to my soul so much that day in the shelter. Vlad is also extremely affectionate and loving, and his favorite toy is the feather duster. He now curls up next to those two big dogs on the bed, and he has brought out the kitten in Musashi.

My bloody camera is on the blink or I would post a pic of the little guy here. I will soon, for I want everyone to see the new man in my life...