So where the heck have I been? I have no internet at home, so I wasn't able to post updates (plus I was too busy with Leo's visit anyway, more on that to come), but I first wanted to talk about the first neat thing that happened over the past few days...

My apartment complex has a lot of strays, and I try to pet them whenever they let me, since they're all adorable. The other night I'm walking back from the market when this cute little cat meows at me and comes right up to me and lets me pet her. I pet her for a moment then proceed on my way, then notice that she's staring at me and following me a bit. I felt bad for this kitty (I am such a sucker for animals), so I played with her a bit outside my apartment. Finally, I figured I should at least give her some water (since I had no food to speak of), so I let her in and gave her a bowl of water...she drank for 15 minutes straight, the poor thing. Then, when she was done, she jumped on my lap and promptly got comfortable...and I was thinking to myself "um...can you really stay here?"

I couldn't, in good conscience, let her back out, so I called Kelly and girlfmkitty to get some advice on what I should do. I went back to the market, got a disposable litter box and some dry food, and when I gave the kitten the food, she ate like it was the first meal she'd ever had, so I decided then I was gonna keep her, since my heart went out to her. She was just so sweet and affectionate that I couldn't imagine putting her back out on the street. So when Leo arrived later that night, I asked him if he's allergic to cats, which got me an odd look in response. Thankfully he's also a cat assistant (as Kelly terms it), so he also had advice for me, and helped me get away from my dog-owner mentality a bit (I kept thinking I had to go back and feed her, for example).

Also, Leo said she smelled bad (which I didn't smell, but my sense of smell sucks, so...), so I had to give her a bath. The poor thing hated me for about an hour or so, and looked so sad when she was all damp, but she seemed a lot cleaner. I haven't taken pictures of her since the bath, so she looks much whiter and cleaner now, but I'll add more as I get them.

So the next challenge was coming up with the name. girlfmkitty suggested Mab (after the Faerie queen in the Dresden novels), which I liked, but it didn't fully stick with me. Leo suggested Crystal, which I also liked. Kelly, however, suggested I let the cat pick the name, as the cat would respond to the name it liked as her cat Shadow did (they originally wanted to call him Midnight). So after rattling off some names, none of which stuck. It was only this morning that I called "Murphy," to which she looked up and me and meowed. I said "Murphy," again, and she meowed again, so that was settled.

So now, my friends, I'd like you all to meet my kitty cat, Murphy:


Sorry that last pic is blurry, but I thought it was too cute not to keep. You can see the whole album here.

So there ya go. This was the start to a VERY interesting four days, but now Murphy seems happy and comfortable, and I'm happy I can give her a safe place to sleep for 20 hours a day. ;) Hope y'all are shiny, and if you have any advice for a new cat assistant such as myself, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!