We're Having A CONTEST!!!

Who is this delectable, fuzzy, adorable, beyond cute creature?.....well that my friends, is where you come in!

Let me back up a little.

Two nights ago, the M-J trio: me, T & Freya went out for our evening walkabout. Perfect Fall weather meant we chose a longer chemin (the walking routes around us) so Freya could get her woods sniffs in and we could nose about more abandoned properties, fully respecting private property boundaries of course--pfffft. A beautiful setting sun and animated conversation meant we set a speedy pace, but always left time to stop and examine some new discovery or taste someone else's apples off a tree (hey, if it hangs over...or near....public property it is fair game!). As we ended the walk, we put Freya on her leash (hasn't quite picked up the walking on the side of a country road thing yet, but getting there) and headed down the road home.

We had just passed a set of bushes near someone's fishing pond when we heard the loudest, clearest, singular mew. We stopped dead in our tracks, looked at one another and said almost simultaneously 'that sounded like a kitten!'. We went back to the little drive we had just passed, and a little grey ball of fur came tearing towards us, mewing at full volume. (Those of you who know us, know we are of soft heart--and sound mind, thank you very much!--when it comes to anything living...ok, admittedly, I am the weaker of us two...)

Freya, in her usual 'I see a C-A-T' craziness, pulled on the leash and let out her weird yowling sounds (think hyena blended with howling blended with animal dying--yes, lovely to hear). T picked up the fairly unfazed kitty and we proceeded to spend the next 1/2 hour trying to locate siblings, mama or a house from whence it had come.....to no avail. The quick onset of darkness spurred us home--dark here in the country is DARK, as in no lights, nada.

When we got home we called a local lady who had been by a couple of days ago searching for a lost cat--hers was an adult--and then T went out in the car to look with a flashlight for family (either human or not). Meanwhile, back at the homestead (Laura Ingalls eat your heart out!) I cuddled the little irresistable ball of fur, and Freya investigated all ends :) T returned with no news and we promptly called Mom & Dad-J (cat enthusiasts) to determine the age & what to feed our little orphan. Fortunately for kitty, Freya eats a salmon based kibble because of her allergies, so we added some hot water and mashed it up into a nice glop with a hint of crunch. Kitty wolfed it down and Freya licked the dish (hmmmm....not so bad this little guy?).

With big, rounded, full belly and warm beds everywhere (Freya IS a comfort hound) sleep was the next order of business.

Monday brought the first full day for kitty at the Maison M-J and she dutifully explored with Freya as chaperone and play instigator. L trailed as the official paparazzi (pics here don't even touch the tip of the Cute iceberg!). Our hunt for her home pretty much fizzled out as her cuteness and spunk beguiled us. We learned via our internet research that kitty is at least two months old and a girl (this is not that obvious a fact for those of you thinking 'they had to go on the internet to find this out?'!) and so probably didn't need to go back to her Maman. We had been talking about rescuing a kitty from the local SPCA when Mom & Dad-J were here so they could guide us in cat life.....but as it turns out, fate/destiny, who seems to guide the M-Js a lot in life, had other plans......and so it seems our cat found us.
She comes apparently already litterbox trained by her Maman (yay!), vocal to her eating, sleeping, playing needs (fits right in to the rest of the talkative bunch), gives as good as she gets to Freya (we like independant females!), enjoys group couch cuddles (a must for evening reading, pc download times or general heat exchange sessions), has the biggest, greenest eyes peering out of a tiger-grey face (compliments nicely the big Freya browns that melt our hearts daily), savours food & enjoys multiple courses (again, sounding familiar?)....and exhibits hints of cheekiness & character that demonstrates she is a candidate for M-J Family inclusion!!

And so it is we arrive at our contest.

Name That Kitty

• The comment board (or email for those of you too shy to share :) ) will be open for one week. At the COB Wednesday the 24th we will take all the suggestions and mull it over (though I have a sneaking suspicion we'll know it when we see it--or not--as the case may be!)....
• Language is not an issue (need not be English), but preferably can be said easily in French, English & yelled.
• Should be appropriate for a girl (this will be confirmed tomorrow with her first visit to the vet).
  
• Should one of the ones we receive be the winning choice, I will post the entrants name (or not, if that is their desire...) along with kitty's new nomenclature & latest cute photo :o)
• The Prize: this is dependant on the location of the winner. The Grand prize is of course the knowledge that you contributed to naming a member of the M-J family (always an adventure and source of conversation). The accompanying First prize (for the greedies out there) will either be something easily mailed to Continental Europe & environs (yes, this includes the Pac Rim) or something easily mailed to North America (sorry, La Poste imposes financial limitations on me b/c of their ridiculous weight pricing scheme!). I am not at liberty to disclose said prize publicly b/c of legal blah blah blah....but I promise you, the M-Js do not give out bad gifts! So, the prize will be wanted.

In order to assist you, let me just give you some brief adjectives to describe kitty so far: (her physical attributes should be clear in the various picture poses supplied!) spunky, loving, cuddly, gourmet, sleep-loving (yes, I know she is growing, but still..), dog-lover (she tries to curl up with Freya--I just can't take it!), watcher, leaf hunter, licker (she loves licking!), explorer (or our new cobweb cleaner), homebody (she always runs back in the house), likes to be with us, but likes to do her own thing, sunwhore, peacock fan (LOVES the peacock feather we have from a local bird-must get more), creator of extremely odiferous poo, big ears, big green eyes, spotted belly (may not be obvious), four white socks, white patch on chest, subtle white tiger stripes in grey fuzz (ok, so I am giving you her physical attributes after all, just in case you missed them in your condition of cuteness overdose). I'm sure there'll be more...but there you have it.

Participate yee Contestants (and pay absolutely no mind to Freya's opinion of this event)!