I gave up

I showed you this photo almost a month ago:

Is there a kitten that stands out for you more than the others? There was for me. It was Annabelle, the one at the top... the one that is not black and white. She had such unique markings! I've had a few similar kittens in the past, but either they died early or they were toms and eventually got run off by other toms. One of them was Marshmallow, who looked like this as he grew up...

... and eventually like this:

I also had given a little tom like that to my sister years ago, and he grew up to be quite beautiful before he ended up dying of kidney disease.

So that type of kitten has held a special place in my heart, and I was delighted to have a female one appear again this summer. I was determined to keep her alive. I treated her sticky eyes and fed her (and all the other kittens) kitten chow. However, she developed a cold, and she wasn't making such great progress. One of her siblings died, and I feared she wouldn't make it through the winter, either.

It was soooo tempting to bring her in the house, even though I was very content with just one housecat and had decided to keep it that way. I kept debating with myself... my heart said bring her in, and my head said don't do it!

My head lost the battle...

So there she was, after having been to the vet and on antibiotics for a few days. ;)

Josie was none too pleased... the first day or two, she spent most of her time pouting in her bed. She had only hisses and growls for Annabelle... and lots of dirty looks...

... for this innocent little thing who only wanted to be friends and snuggle and play with her.

Here's another typical pout pose:

But Josie's coming around. At least she seems to have forgiven me and will be her usual self around me and get whatever cuddle time she can if Annabelle's locked up elsewhere. And she gets close enough to sniff her nose before she hisses at her. ;)  It'll work... just takes some adjustment time and they'll become friends and even sleep together eventually.

Speaking of sleeping....

... and right now she's sound asleep warming my lap (although not very much of it) as I type. She gets pretty tired from all her tearing around the house... boy, can she move fast! And I have to watch every step I take, because she's right there, even though a split second ago she may have been in another room. :) Every time I open a closet or cupboard door, she's right there, too. I unknowingly locked her in a closet once already, but her cries soon led me to her whereabouts. What a rascal! What a delight! She makes me laugh a lot. :)

I'm sure you'll be seeing more pics of her... if she'll be still long enough to get a shot now and then! I've decided I should wear my camera on my neck constantly for a better chance at capturing her cute antics. Like right now, to catch this adorable little sleeping face against her paw against my arm. No camera, though... you'll have to use your imagination. ;)

Don't worry... I'm not neglecting Josie, either. I still give her lots of lovin'. Part of this new baby thing was for her, because she seemed bored. She just doesn't realize yet how much she'll enjoy Annabelle. ;)