We're pet owners!

We welcomed some (not human) new family members this past week! One of the perils of living in a gentrifying neighborhood is the high number of abandoned pets. When our next door neighbors moved out this past week, they didn’t take their two cats with them. Honestly, we had already been caring for the cats somewhat because they weren’t being fed well, etc.

Almost four years ago, we lost our cat, who had been with me since undergrad. It was very upsetting, especially to Margaret, who was only three at the time. We decided not to get a new cat and were actually really enjoying being a pet-free household. Seeing the cats abandoned was, of course, sad for us, and we caved on that score. Shelters are already overwhelmed, and we're easily able to care for a couple of cats.

For now, the cats are living in the sunroom, but we plan to eventually let them in the rest of the house. The mother cat, Maple, is still fairly young, and she has a kitten we named Daisy after we noticed that she’s a polydactyl. (Ernest Hemingway was known for having polydactyl cats.) They’re sweet cats, and it’s hard to think of someone moving without their pets. I could have gone another four years as a pet-free household, but we're really enjoying having them with us. Margaret in particular is having a blast playing with baby Daisy.