My new cat

Introducing the newest member of my four legged furry family: Capri.

Pretty kitty close-up

She's a tortoiseshell, about 1 1/2 years old. The kennel Aussie goes to found her when she was around 5 months old. They spayed her, got her all the necessary shots and tests, and put her up for adoption in a cage in their main office. I saw her for the first time last May, when she was about a year old. She had been living in their office for over 6 months at that point. When she still hadn't been adopted in August, I crumbled. In mid-September I drove out to the kennel and brought Capri home. It's been 3 1/2 years since my cat Snip passed away, and when I couldn't get Capri out of my head, I knew it was time to get another cat.

It's been an adjustment. It's been over 15 years since I had a kitten in the house, for one. Fortunately, Capri likes dogs, and since Aussie was raised with my first cat, Snip (also a tortoiseshell), she accepted Capri's presence quickly. But since Capri had only lived either as a stray or in a cage in an office, she had no idea what life in a home was like. It took a good week before she'd come out of hiding in the bookshelves (that space behind the books on the bottom shelf is ideal for hiding). It took another week after that before she'd let me touch her. I've had to adjust to having my toes attacked at 2am (silly me for moving in my sleep) and training myself to watch for cat toys (I've already crushed one ball by stepping on it and almost falling in the process).

Now, two months in, Capri has made herself at home. I've learned she LOVES treats. Specifically the kind that are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Catnip has no effect on her (WTF?). And she loves toys that make noise (little mice, balls that jingle, etc.). Capri is a talker, proving to be quite the mouthy cat. She's learning to like being brushed, but clipping her nails is a battle that involves wrapping her in a towel in a futile attempt at protecting myself from getting scratched.

Lounging comfortably on the back of the couch

Today we made our first trip to the vet. It took me a good 15 minutes to catch her and stuff her in the carrier. I almost had her once, but the dog decided to "help" and Capri escaped. Eventually I caught her again and we made it to the vet with minimal damage to my person (a few scratches, but nothing severe). She got all her boosters, and has been given a clean bill of health. She's also been microchipped, which I highly recommend. We'll see how long it takes her to forgive me for the injustices she suffered today.