The Real Monk and Mao

I think it's time you all met my muses.

Mao

Mao is the handsomest kitty boy ever. He was kind of a surprise. My grandparents got him from someone who was giving away kittens in front of a grocery store (because most people in rural Utah are too irresponsible and ignorant to get their pets spayed or neutered, but let's not get into that). Grandpa had been getting weaker and it was getting harder for him to walk, and he had had a few falls. Mao LOVES nudging legs and feet. This did not work out. The grandparents decided that when kitty got older, he would be an outside cat (there's that irresponsible pet ownership thing again). A few months later, Grandpa ended up in the hospital and I went to Utah to visit him. I met this naughty leg-loving (and luckily still indoor) cat. I instantly fell in love. Two days later, he was my passenger for the 8-hour drive home. And he was a peach!

Now he sits in the window and waits for my car to pull up. He meets me at the door and talks to me while he rubs on my legs until he tips over.

When he's really relaxed, his mouth starts to hang open and his shiny black bottom lip sticks out. It's the strangest thing!

Monk

Monk is my apple-headed Siamese girl. Mao and I were getting ready to move out of the boyfriend's condo into a place of our own and I decided to get him a friend before we moved. I was afraid he would get lonely while I was at work, and thought having a kitty friend might ease his transition into the new house. I rescued Miss Monk from a family who was going to take her to the Dumb Friends League because one of the children was allergic to her. You'd never guess it now, but she was the skinniest little thing when I picked her up! She's now quite round, and has the funniest little short legs. She's also surprisingly quiet for a Siamese.

She might be half his size, but she sure can kick Mao's ass.

You don't know happiness until you've taken a mid-afternoon nap with a kitty or two. :)