SpencerTheLion....you are too much. We were all around my computer laughing earlier tonight at your postings. Sooo funny. In honor of the now gone series, Star Trek, we have named our new visitor, #4 of 4, Mr. Spock. Although he will be here merely a few days (unless the lady who took #1 & #3 changes her mind), we decided that he needed a dignified name, and so this it shall be. He displays the same Mr. Spock composure, in spite of the fact that he was captured in a trap this afternoon, rode in one car, endured poking and prodding with sticks into a crate in a Burger King parking lot and then rode in a second car. He is very dignified, not displaying the inappropriate reactions such as spitting, hissing, growling or biting that his brother did. He makes no sounds, gives no response, just cowers in the corner.

When we arrived home, I doubled a towel and with the crate door against my arm, reached in to take him by the neck. No movement, no sound, he let me take him out in the "mama kitty" grip, where I wrapped him solidly for the undignified means of identification, for we all wanted to know if it should be Mr. or Miss. He was happy to get back to his corner. He ate heartily after I covered the crate with a towel. Tonight he is uncovered to more expose him to us as we walk past him. What a true refined one he is, no attacking the sides of his crate in a whirling, striking frenzy like mine did.

It has been three weeks since I got my kitten, so Mr. Spock (#4) is 9 weeks old. Bright yellow eyes, same grey color on his ears, a round circle of color on his right side, and a stump of a tail in the same color, like a little fuzzy bunny tail. I was going to nickname her "Bunnie" but she is a he. Also mostly a dusky white color, covered with the red dirt so typical of the area where he was found. A good bath will make him shiny white. I was surprised that Mr. Spock is a lot bigger. I may have the runt of the litter, or maybe the mama nursed Mr. Spock longer. In the end, at his new house, he will surely have a Hawaiian name as her other three do.

Either way, we have all decided on a forever name for my kitty, and it is sealed for all time. His name is Elijah, or Eli for short. It was chosen, not because of his personality, but because I liked it. Never has there been such a problem with a name. I had at first wanted to name him Dickens, but I'm already sick of the joke names my uncivilized "grown(?)" men-children made. I already call him Lil' Bit and he's always been a Lil' Dickens, so they'll probably be his "pet names".

Eli was asleep when his brother arrived, but an hour later he awoke, smelled something new, and went nuts. He was attacking the bars of the kitty condo, sticking his full legs through it, while biting the bars. He was yowling and flinging himself around. I put the crate with his long lost brother in it next to the door of his condo. I kept it a few inches away so they couldn't touch (quarantine). Eli immediately quieted and settled down at his door, just watching and sniffing. After a while he just went about his own business, came out to play with Moses (my dog), and has ignored his brother since. He cries out to Moses if he leaves him alone in my bedroom, wanting him to come back. Moses takes his tiny catnip balls in his mouth, then tossing them and Eli chases them. I watch and they do it over and over. I wonder if my kitten, Eli, is starting to think he's a dog?

[This message has been edited by Jasper's Mom (edited May 27, 2001).]