Adopted By Three Kittens

What a difference a split second can make in a life. Often the difference between life and death is just one blink of an eye. And this was the case of the kitten who would become Grizzly Girl.

I was in the passenger seat when it happened. The friend who was driving must have had x-ray vision. How she saw that tiny speck in the road at highway speed defies any logical explanation. This was a road heavily traveled by oil tankers—big, heavy eighteen-wheelers.

After spotting an unknown something in the road, my friend pulled over onto the shoulder. When she slipped back into the vehicle, I was handed a tiny, limp, wet handful of fur. The kitten, who was likely seeking warmth from the hot pavement, was unconscious and as near death as could be. I really did not think this little baby was going to survive for even the time it would take to get her to my home.

How in the world had she avoided being crushed under the wheels of those tankers? Surely there are angels who watch over kittens.

Grizzly Girl - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

Never underestimate the valiant spirit of any feline. This weaker than weak, comatose kitten wanted to live. Less than an hour after warming her up and dripping some kitten replacement milk onto her tiny pink tongue, new energy surged within this baby's body. When the kitten opened her eyes for the first time, I knew she was going to make it. And, at that moment, I knew that I was in love with this precious little girl. Doesn't she look like a little elf, or perhaps the offspring of Spock?

Bones... they're not just for puppies anymore.
©RenaissanceWoman2010

When she was a baby, this little kitten had enormous courage and the coloration of a bear. She was feisty and had a wild streak. Because our school mascot was the Grizzlies, and because she could hold her own with any living creature, she became Grizzly Girl.

Peppermint Patty - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

After Grizzly Girl had lived with me for a few months, I decided she was home alone too much due to my long working hours. I thought she might benefit from the company of a kitten similar in age, so I went on a quest to find a companion with whom she might be compatible.

It took a few visits to shelters, but finally, just before Christmas, I came upon a litter of kittens similar in age (about five months old). A family that was fostering the litter had brought them in for an adoption day at the local shelter. The tabbies were all sleeping together in a large cat enclosure upon my arrival. One kitten chose that moment to awaken and interact with me. As I held her, she kept head-butting me in a very affectionate manner.

Of course, I had just been adopted by a beautiful five-month old tabby. Since it was the holiday season, my new little girl needed a Christmas name. She had a fun, out-going personality, which led me to think of the comic strip character Peppermint Patty. And so it was that Peppermint Patty came to celebrate her first holiday with us.

Our First Morning Together - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

Peppermint Patty was kind of a big name for a little kitten. It wasn't long before my cartoon kitten had a nickname. I discovered that this girl had the tiniest pipsqueak voice. And so, as a play on her initials and her voice, Peppermint Patty became "Little Pip." She answers to Pippi Longstocking, Pipski, the Pipmeister, Pipperoni Pizza, and the Pipster, too.

The first few hours together Grizzly Girl was not in much of a holiday mood. She hissed and growled at her new "friend." I was a little worried about whether or not this relationship was going to work out. However, when I awoke the next morning, I found the two of them, Miz Grizz and Little Pip, curled up together on the couch. From that moment on, they bonded quite beautifully. That was the best Christmas present for all three of us.

Wild Child - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

Our little family cruised along for most of another year. I thought our household was just perfect with two fur persons as we prepared to celebrate our second anniversary together.

But wait... what was that? It sounded like something crying outside on the front porch. Stepping out into the freezing cold of an approaching blizzard, whipped by wind and blowing snow, I called out and searched for what sounded like an animal in distress. Sure enough, up on my rooftop, there was a reindeer. Reindeer? Er, make that a kitten. I knew if I did not get that baby down before the full force of the storm arrived she would freeze to death. I could not allow that to happen.

Getting that wild kitten off the roof was a miracle. I held her swaddled in a towel as I brought her inside. Oh my, what a scene! Grizzly Girl and Little Pip acted like total Scrooges. You've never heard such growling and hissing since the beginning of Kittendom. My two big girls would not even step into the same room with the new baby.

For one whole week I held my breath as I wondered whether there would be eventual acceptance for the new kitten, or whether I would have to find another home for her. Just when it began to feel hopeless, we had a breakthrough. The new baby was finally accepted by her two older sisters. And so we would have a happy holiday after all. Our new baby, lying in her own version of a kitten manger, was a joyful gift, bringing much delight into our cozy little mountain home.

Wild Child and Pip - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

"She ain't heavy she's my sister."
©RenaissanceWoman2010

SquidU Scholar - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

Miz Grizz and Little Pip are my Squidoo girls. They like to hover right on the keyboard while I am crafting lenses. I've had to learn to type with cats leaning on my hands. I didn't realize Pip had been attending SquidU until I caught her in the act here in this photo. She's got her heart set on being a Giant Squid one day.

Naptime 101 - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

Little Pip is my laid-back girl. She likes to cuddle, retrieve toy mice, perch on my shoulder, and attend SquidU. She never skips a nap. I'm not as sure about her class attendance.

Guard Cat on Duty - ©RenaissanceWoman2010

Miz Grizz is our guardian girl. Always watching, ever alert. She is a self-appointed Critter Emergency Warning System.