Thanks for the wonderful comments about Pepper. He's enjoying his day--he knew something was up and I had to tell him about it. Of course, he's smiling his told-you-so smile now. I want to apologize for the confusion, the other kitten in Pepper's baby photo is his brother, Q-tip, who sadly passed away in 2006. Here's his sister, Tonka:

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And this is Pepper with his momma:

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He's been a happy, talky boy his whole life, and it's only been in the last two or three years that he's settled into a more indoor only cat. Pepper sends purrs and hugs, and thanks you all for your comments.