Consider yourself one of the family....

Our neutering frenzy came to an end as Covid entered our province.  As of March 9, 2020, we were in lockdown, "Zona Rossa." 

What better way to while away the time than to have four young cats get used to us and each other?

There were bumps along the way, things to learn, ailments to treat and kitty living arrangements to  shift and change, as their preferences and personalities blossomed.

My husband became the "designated shopper." We have, by Italian standards, a somewhat large refrigerator.  Not one of those side by side monsters like we had in the US with an ice machine and cold water dispenser, but what used to be considered a regular American fridge about 40 years ago.  I made up dinner plans and shopping lists so that we could get through two to three weeks at a time without needing a trip to the supermarket. 

I also started ordering cat food online because lugging it back in the quantities we needed was a herculean chore.  We had isopropyl alcohol, sanitizer, plenty of soap and paper masks so we were as prepared as we could be when life came to a screeching halt.

The "girls" came by every day for their dinner.  The babies inside went through some trial and error phases as I tried different food varieties, learned more about kitty asthma and dealt with tummy issues.

With April came milder weather, more sunshine and.....another kitten appeared out of nowhere.

At first I thought it was a rat.  Took me a minute to realize it was one truly ugly kitten.  I never thought there could be an ugly kitten, but here it was.  This "thing" was in bad shape.  I was afraid to approach it or touch it, Mamma and Inky hissed at it...I thought it could be ill and might die in a short while.  In the meantime, I didn't want the "girls" to get infected with anything, but they were keeping their distance.  I even wished it would just wander away, go somewhere else since no one here was interested.

But, the pathetic little thing showed up again and again.  In just a day or two, Mamma wasn't hissing anymore.  Ink didn't mind if this creature ate with them.  I had to call it something.  It's little face resembled that of a werewolf.  I didn't know the word for werewolf in Italian, so I shortened it to "Lupo" (wolf).  Good thing, too, since the word in Italian is "incantroppo" and I can't imagine naming anything "Incantroppo!"  

Lupo was a male.  His coat was a hot mess, dull, nondescript color or colors, a muddy mix of brownish, burnt orangey glop.  Once he was able to ingratiate himself upon my "regulars" he came around every day.  In no time at all everyone was calling him Lupo.  I got a text from my friend across the street "Lupo is waiting at your door."  !!!  

I was sitting on the bench in the courtyard, watching them all eat.  Lupo decided to come over and schmooze my leg.  And then he rolled over.  He was purring up a storm and then he climbed into my lap. I was still a little afraid of him, but that melted away pretty quickly.

He also adored Harry and followed my husband and Harry on EVERY walk, weaving in and out of Harry's paws.  

Right...you know what happened next.  I gave him a kitten dose of "Frontline" in case there were any fleas, and I treated his ears for mites with a mixture of vinegar and water.  He didn't even put up a fuss. 

So, how were we going to do this?  I didn't have to wonder too much because when all the others were sleeping after their morning meal, Lupo just marched right in the door.  "Honey!  I'm home!"  

He had no fear whatsoever and tried to approach everyone.  Everyone, however, was not interested.  Calzini was the first to break the ice when he decided it would be fun to have another playmate.  

Now that I could get a really good look at him, I could see that Lupo had some Siamese traits - triangular head, kinky tail, short fur and a very funky cry.  His personality is also...different.  Where the heck did he come from??

His coat has improved dramatically.  Now he appears to be a very shiny, very dark chocolate brown with a little white cravat on his chest. He is everybody's buddy and the most laid back, affectionate  and eccentric one of all.  I call him my little "lovebug"  as well as my rag doll, because when I pick him up, he just goes limp.  One day he was in the wrong spot for breakfast, so I slung him over my shoulder, where he flopped, until I deposited the two bowls where they belonged and then deposited him in his own cage.

Loop was neutered in October.  My best guess is that he was maybe a year old somewhere around December, a strange time for kittens to be born here but that just adds to his mystery.

 Five cats.  We now had five cats.  Don't go away...