My mom‘s name is Ky (short for Kylene) and our new kitten was named Kai when we met her. I do think it’s a cute name, but it might be a little weird for my mom and my cat to have the same name. Right?

We’ve been tossing around some other names, but nothing’s stuck quite yet. When I got Floyd as an 8 week old kitten, my roommate and I discussed names for several days but couldn’t settle on anything right away. It wasn’t until his personality came out a bit more, as he regularly tumbled off the backs of couches or slipped off the tops of cabinets, that the name Floyd flew out of my mouth. It meant he was a little bit of a clumsy dummy mixed with a little bit of a pain in the ass, but all around a sweet guy. Floyd.

I know our new little one’s name will come out soon, especially since her personality is emerging more and more every day.

When we walked into the Kitty Kind adoption center at the Union Square Petco we were planning to take home an adult male cat. We left with a baby girl kitten. What. Get off my back.

“Can we get two? Or six?” wasn’t met with a pleasant response from the boyfriend.

While some of the other cats were very eagerly sniffing at us through their prison bars, she kept to herself. But I’d learned my lesson with Floyd. When the woman who was helping me choose him opened the kitten cage, the tiny black cats fell all over each other, barely able to stand up. All but one. He darted out of the cage and immediately began climbing up the wall. I should have known what was in store. He broke stuff, demanded things and plotted his escape daily for the next 5 years.

But our new kitten, who is 6 months old, was minding her own business when we saw her at the store. She looked very pretty and a little bit lonely. She was timid and gentle when we picked her up and despite her fluffy coat and big poofy tail, she felt like a bag of bones. I wanted her. When the adoption center guy told his colleagues we were adopting little Kai, everyone lit up and said “Ohhh, that’s so wonderful!” Either they say that for every cat who gets adopted or this particular cat had been passed up by lots of potential parents. I was really glad that we’d chosen her.

She was terrified once we got her home. The first night, she did nothing but lay in my lap like a fuzzy lump. (It was actually my dream come true.) The next day, she wouldn’t come out of her carrier. They warned us that she’d prefer to be kept in a small space for the first few days, but I was still worried. She eventually became curious about life outside of her cage and our bathroom, but only so far as to hide in the very back of the bedroom closet. (I will say, there’s nothing cuter than pulling back a row of shirts to see a tiny little kitten head staring up at you from the darkness.) She was afraid of us and of her new big brother. He, on the other hand, was noticeably enamored and dying to get a little face time with her, but she wouldn’t let him get within five feet.

Now, a little over a week later, she’s a lot more comfortable being part of the family. She sleeps in our bed at night, loves to play with a long feathery string whenever we’re willing and she even followed me around the house this morning while I got ready for work. She’s also graduated from hissing angrily from afar at Chawser, to letting him chase her around the house and  engage her in a little spat. This is good because it means they’re establishing a hierarchy.

We do miss Floyd, who was a huge presence in our home, but having the little one around is a lot of fun. Like most girl cats I’ve known, she’s bitchy and moody and will scratch the hell out of you if she’s pissed. Good for her, I say. She’s also affectionate when she wants to be and is incredibly cute, as I’m sure I’ll mention repeatedly from now on. She’s going to be gorgeous when she grows up. She’s a Maine Coon, which are known for their distinctive appearance, intelligence and gentle personalities. But with their pointy ears they look like they could take your life in one swipe. So, we’ll see what becomes of little Francine Harriet Marge lady kitten.