Alright, so this is the first official post since the upgrade. Yay! It was inspired by a little fuzzball in my backyard. 

So here's the story. I was sitting here at my computer just messing with stuff when I hear some hissing and strange meows from the kitchen. I naturally freak out thinking Tas hurt himself or something. I ran in there and Tas is all poofed up sitting in the window, looking down outside.

I looked, and there was this little kitty sitting on the back step. He was confused and meowing/hissing back at Tas like "Dude, what's your problem? I just want to hang out..."

After trying to calm Tas down, and then further pissing him off when I went outside without him, I met the little kitty outside. He is an absolute sweetheart! Very friendly, comes when you call for him, adores attention and petting. I think he might be about 1-2 years old. Definitely a young guy. The way he acts, and the fact that his front paws are declawed, means that he isn't just some stray cat. He belongs somewhere.

I hung out with the little kitty for a bit to kind of check him out and see if he was ok. Seems perfectly fine. While he seems like he is definitely someone's pet, he also seems very at home outdoors. He was very happy to get some attention and hang out with me in my backyard, but he booked it to the fence after he saw a squirrel running in the neighbor's yard.  Very agile little guy! He seems like he would be able to take care of himself just fine if he stays outside, but still, I can't help but worry. I did manage to get a few pictures of him with my phone, and I left a bowl of water and food out on the step just in case. (And guess what? He did actually come back to chill in the yard again for a bit.) I've dubbed him Max. My first thought was Fraggle Rock, and Uncle Traveling Matt, but he doesn't really look like a Matt. Maybe he's a cousin. Cousin Traveling Max.

I'll be keeping an eye out for him. If he returns again for a third time, I need to get to making posters, and knocking on doors to see where he's supposed to be. As cute as he is, I won't be keeping him. (At least, that's what I'm telling myself now... Hehe.) I'm curious as to how long he's been out and about. If I couldn't find my cat, I'd be out searching in no time.

If anyone is looking for a companion, please remember to check your local humane societies and animal shelters. Petfinder.com has a nice collection of listings.