I learned from Meow by Kate that our first cat, Uma, is a calico cat — a black-white-orange cat which is automatically female. Our second cat, Sophie, happens to be a calico cat as well.
When I moved out from my parents’ house, Abet and I planned on getting a cat of our own. Naturally, I wanted a calico cat like the two kitty-girls I left at my parents.’ I asked my friends and on Facebook if anyone has a black-white-orange kitten I could adopt, but I didn’t get anything. We decided that we’ll just pick up whatever stray kitten we’ll find on the street — calico or not — or get a Siamese kitten for my birthday in December, whichever comes first.
Fortunately, this little furball found her way on the street near Abet’s mother’s house two Sundays ago:
Yep, I got my calico cat after all! Abet and his nephew Ycko found her near their gate, and after Abet confirmed with the neighbors that she didn’t belong to anyone in the area, she was mine. We named her Phoebe after my favorite F.R.I.E.N.D.S. character, and also because when we got her, she was “smelly cat, smelly cat.”
She was so small then. I assume she was month old at the time. Look at how tiny she was (with a tube of lipstick for size reference):
Abet and I are absolutely smitten with her. He would never admit it, but he’s just so in love with our Phoebe.
Phoebe likes my husband more than she likes me. She sleeps in our room — in our bed — and she snuggles beside Abet, not me.
In the 9 days since we got her, she has almost doubled in size, she knows how to go to the bathroom to wie-wie and pou-pou, she can climb up and down our stairs, and she now gets along with her Kuya Django, our Labrador Retriever.
We’re taking her to my parents’ house this weekend so she can meet her big sisters Uma and Sophie.
In other news, we were supposed to have a fourth calico, Josie:
My siblings found her on the street last Saturday. Her eyes were still closed when they found her, just like Uma when Momon picked her up. Sadly, Josie didn’t make it. She passed away yesterday. My sister May is devastated. She told me earlier that they already had plans for her. I’m sure they were planning on buying her treats and kitty items and putting her in the pockets of their nursing uniforms med school uniforms like they did with Uma when she was younger:
RIP, Josie. I guess for now, Phoebe is our bunso. I hope my siblings find another new kitten, and while I’m sure they’ll pick up any stray kitten that comes their way, I hope it’s going to be another calico cat.
These remind me of our little kitten who eagerly await by our window for our arrival. At least that’s what I like to think. (I’m no photographer, obviously.)
You may view the entire project on this Flickr page. Dog lovers, there are adorable pictures of dogs a-waiting, too.
We finally have a Christmas tree over here at Casa Mesa. Our very first Christmas tree together! *yipee* It’s a bit late, I know, but you know what they say: better late than never.
