A New Addition

About 2 months ago, our landlord called to inform us we were getting a new upstairs neighbor. I believe her actual words were "She seems quiet. Oh, and she has a dog." Now, there are a few things you should know before I delve into this story:

1. - Our previous neighbors were a nice young couple (from whom I once borrowed sugar - I know. I felt so domestic...and a little cliche) and their 3 year old daughter (who was petrified of me). Their little girl was this tiny, tiny little thing, but she made more noise than I ever would have thought possible. She ran. All. The. Time. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Through all hours of the night. Both apartments have hardwood floors, which means there is absolutely no insulation against noise. So I was a little nervous having a dog living above us.

2. - When we signed our lease "NO PETS" was written in large print across it. Also, when the young couple and future marathoner moved in, they were told NO PETS. We asked one Christmas if we could get a kitten and were told NO PETS. Even the FOR RENT sign said NO PETS, just like that, in all caps. Yet, here was this new tenant, with a dog.

Our landlord preempted my objection (and whining) by saying, "Since we told her she could have a dog, you can get a cat." With those words, all objections went out the window. FINALLY! A kitten!

So after some major disagreements about whether the kitten should be outdoor (and very likely to be run over, contract FIV or rabies, and just become something we feed every once in awhile) or indoor (safe and cozy and a PET), we're getting a kitten. I'll let you guess which side was mine, and which side ultimately won. I'll give you a hint: they're one and the same.

We knew someone who was fostering 2 week old kittens that had been taken from their mother, so we went to her house to help bottle feed them (which is the most adorable thing I've ever seen), and then picked one. Of course, the one we picked promptly died. So we picked another and prayed it wouldn't die for the sole reason that we picked it.
Then, we did what any normal couple would do before getting a pet; we drew up a list of names. I wanted Guacamole (Mo for short) and was shot down. I suggested Darwin (for obvious reasons - just give it a moment), but then thought it might be just a little insensitive. Kurt wanted Boots, which I vetoed. I suggested Truffle. Nope. The white board by our front door had about 20 names on it before we decided upon Duke.

So we prepared the house for little Duke, making sure all wires, poisonous ant traps, and any other dangerous items were put away. We bought food bowls, a litter box, kitten food, all the essentials for the little tyke. We brought him home Friday night after a quick scare and he absolutely the snuggliest little kitten I have EVER seen. All he wants to do is cuddle. I'm in love.

I'm looking forward to him meowing all night and going to work covered in scratches. I spent ALL weekend holed up in the apartment playing with him and completely ignoring Kurt. Did I mention Saturday was Kurt's birthday? It's ok, he's well aware Duke is cuter. He's also accepted the fact that I'll probably be letting him sleep in our bed with us. I mean, look at this face. Could YOU say no?

PS - Have you seen the new Mad Men collection at Banana Republic? It makes me want to live in the 60's...minus the gender and racial inequality (because we're so equal now), but perhaps including the Manhattans at work. All of the money in my account (yes, Kurt and I have separate checking accounts along with our joint checking and savings in order to not kill each other over spending on things like expensive shoes, clothing, and video games) will be going to this collection.