Cutie Available

2014 is going to be a great year, take it from me, and I'm never wrong.  ... or at least that's what she-who-must-be-obeyed says.  So please bear with me, and I'll try to explain.

Cragen, the every watchful guardian of our current abode, started growling at something outside on Thursday night.  Of course Chris noticed, but growling at the wilderness in our back yard is not all that unusual.

Then Cragen repeated the growling on Friday night: obviously there was some wild and dangerous creature out there.  Chris had a closer look outside, where it was damn cold I might add, and spotted two little eyes looking back at her.

After capturing this vicious critter and taking it into our lanai, the rest of the evening became a rescue operation.  

This little black and white kitten had obviously not eaten in a few days, needed liquids, and a lot of loving.

After gulping down food, milk and water,  much was done to get this kitten to accept a human touch. Eventually, it found a friendly hand, wanted to be patted, scratched, and scratched some more.  The resident Vet determined we had a young male and we all decided that he was in need of a loving home, or returned to whoever had lost it.

Posters were made and distributed, calls and emails were written. 

One email was sent to San Diego, had the same title as this post, and included the following two pictures.

In the meantime, we had already named the little guy Oscar, part of the socializing effort...

The next we read, I was unceremoniously accused of killing Phillip and Kathleen, only a slight exaggeration since all I did was suggest they wanted a new cat...

Done deal!  How could anyone resist such a cutie, especially when they had been mentioning the possibility of getting a cat to amuse Maverick...  Since the local ladies did not really like the name Oscar, they suggested Palazzo, the name of our area in the Pelican Preserve.  Kathleen quickly jumped in with 'Pally' as a name, and as I said: done deal!

Saturday morning I had a rendez-vous for birdwatching so the rest of our jolly crew set things in motion.  A friendly and competent Vet was found, examination done, pills and needles administered and a follow-up appointment set.

Pally purred through the whole car ride, and Vet visit experience, even to the point of eating pills before they could be disguised.  The only thing the Vet was unable to do was hear a heartbeat due to some sort of loud chainsaw noise coming from Pally.

This morning I made this picture of Pally just looking in from the lanai.  He can't be let in because he has mites and other nasties that are being dealt with, as well as claws that would ruin the leather couches.

So Pally's adventure-du-jour was a warm bath of sorts.  He may not have been purring loudly, but in all fairness, he did not fight the process at all!  This little guy, likely 10 to 12 weeks old, is not afraid of anything it seems.

I did forget to mention what Peter had mentioned [that the Vet confirmed]: Pally was bitten by some larger animal and has healing punctures on its back legs and tail.  I expect this clever cat may have used up a few of its nine lives already, but I digress: back to the first bath.

This first shot is pre-soap and shows Pally almost lounging in the sink full of warm water...

Now we're into serious lather and scrubbing, lovingly administered by a sure-handed Chris.

The rinse seems to feel good.

... as does Grandma Joan's comforting towel.

So this is now après-bath where Pally just took the whole laundry process to a new level by a self administered further intense cleaning to remove anything that Chris might of missed...

Still not finished drying off, Pally took a moment to pose for me, and you too of course.

So there you have it: the reasoning why I think 2014 is going to be a great year.  I know it is for this little kitten, I know it will be for Kathleen and Phillip, and so far so good as far as Joan's allergy to cats.  

After a follow-up at the vets, a few more pills and needles, and Pally will be good to go for its next big adventure: a trip across the continent to San Diego so it can lavish constant purring on its new clan [two humans and Maverick].

Great beginnings or what!  Hope you and yours fare as well.