The whole story (or as much of it as we know)

Sometime on Monday night I thought I heard a car come down the alley, idle for a minute, then leave. But I didn't think about looking out the window, because I was feeling too lazy to get off my butt. Tuesday morning I looked out the kitchen window and saw a small box sitting at the end of the alley, next to the fence between our yard/car park and the doctor's car park. Thought it was strange, but didn't really think about it. Later, when Darrin took Biscuit's aromatic "gift" outside before leaving for work, he came back inside and said, "There's a box at the end of the alleyway, and it's moving." So we both went back out, and I ripped the tape enough to open one of the flaps, and here's a litter of kittens looking up at us, one hissing. We took them inside. Darrin looks up the RSPCA on the web, but they don't open till 10, and it's only about 8. We discuss taking them to the vet in the front building, but she's not at work yet. So I scoop some cottage cheese into a bowl and put it in the box for them, since we have no idea how long since they've eaten anything. The calico kitten you see here later does exactly what you see her doing here, and poor Biscuit standing on the back of the couch fluffs up to three times his normal size. Then he goes to hide in the bedroom, where he's been for 95% of the last three days. Since I pretty much already knew the calico was female, I left her till the last when checking their genders. We had a black & white "tuxedo cat" male, a white female, a gold/ginger female, and the aforementioned calico female. All with four white paws. They're about eight weeks old and they all look pretty healthy. Which makes us wonder, why the heck would somebody with a litter of kittens let the mama take care of them for eight weeks, and obviously provide enough food for the five of them, and then just dump them in an alley? You'd think they'd have sense enough to a) find good homes for them themselves, or b) take them to a shelter or a vet if they didn't know anyone who wanted kittens.

So Darrin goes off to work, and I went out front to check if the vet had arrived yet. I really had every intention of going to see her with them, but twice I checked & she wasn't there yet, so I just never got around to it. I got the VCR box, cut off two of the flaps, and put an old sheet in it for a bed. I found bowls for food and water, and the hood half of a kitty litter tray lined with a plastic bag (which didn't work very well, since cats tend to have sharp claws and kittens tend to play with anything that moves). These items I set up in the toilet so they could be away from Biscuit (and away from other things we don't want them getting into). And Darrin sent out a notice at work about them, and was getting interest from a few people.

The first one to be spoken for was the black & white male. Lisa didn't tell her two boys she was bringing a kitten home last night, and by all accounts he's enjoying his new home. He is to be called Jengo Cat.

The white one was spoken for next by Marlene, another of Darrin's co-workers. She already has a quiet, relaxed cat, and since the little white one is also quiet and relaxed, she should fit in nicely at Marlene's house. She'll be going home with Marlene on Monday.

Last, Julian SMSed Darrin last night after work asking him to bring the ginger kitten today. She is to share a house with Julian, his fiance Sam, and their horse of a German Shepherd puppy, Linkin. And may quite possibly be named Britney, after, you guessed it, Britney Spears.

And the fourth one? She's ours. Which is where you come in. She needs a name. I have no idea what to call her. As you can see, she's mostly black, with white paws and some orange patches around...everywhere. She was the first to poke her head over the top of the box and look around. When either of us goes into the toilet, she (almost) always comes out, sits down right in front of the toilet, and waits for attention. And purrs. Loudly. And just today she's been starting to try climbing up my leg, or is she just stretching her legs & using me to help that? Who knows.

I have gone against my usual rule and left commenting enabled on this post. This is so if you have a good name idea, you can post it. I need a GOOD name. Not something common or boring like Fluffy. Ideally I would like a somewhat funny name coming from a cartoon/movie/television/novel character with a similar personality, or possibly a food related name. Something witty and clever.

Other names to not suggest (because I've already had animals by these names): Jingles, Blackie, Friskie, Friskie (yep, two of them) Jingles (yep, two of them too), Tidbits, Morris, Toby, Garfield, Stubby (he had a short tail, okay?), Tiger, Oreo, Friskie (yet again), Toby (the first Toby was given away, and I liked the name), A. C. (Andy's Cat, or Awesome Cat), Twinkie, Peanut, Yakko, Wakko, Dot & Brain (Animaniacs), Buster & Babs (Tiny Toons bunnies), Alvin, Tigger, Biscuit.

More names not to suggest (because we know people who have or had pets by these names): Amos, Andy, Princess, Angus, George, Squeak, Calvin, Westley, Smokey, Snickers, Roxy, Defa...and the list goes on, but those are the names of the ones we see most often.

Let the naming commence....