3F has a new roommate!

He is orange and cuddly and acts like he owns the place already. I had been wanting a cat for a while (or wanting some sort of animal interaction until I have the means to own a dog) and finally got around to doing it. Let me tell you, the cat adoption process in Brooklyn is quite involved! There are tons of shelters separate from the ASPCA and city humane societies and they are serious about cat welfare. I respect the fact that they want to find these neglected kitties good homes, but I had to jump through quite a few hoops before the shelter woman would leave this guy in my care. I had to fill out a 4 page application including 2 references. We had a meet and greet session the day before he was delivered and my apartment had to be inspected to make sure there are screens in all the windows. I wrote a hefty check to the shelter and was lectured about the cruelty of declawing and the statistics of kitty runaways.

But now he's all mine! Well, I still have to undergo some periodic checks to make sure I am not neglecting him. The sweet foster parents also asked that I send pictures and news about how he is doing. I promised a Christmas card of me and Gino (short for Orangino).

That comes to my next point. I don't know what to call my new little kitty friend! The rescuer called him Gino but I'm not in love with it (makes me think "guido"). The Graveline's are notoriously bad at naming animals (Buster, Blackie, Buddy, Pumpkin, Fluff, and the list goes on), so I'm at a loss. Well, you can see in the top picture that he has little thumbs. The shelter lady says it is rare but some people search it out. Apparently, Ernest Hemingway thought they were good luck, so he surrounded himself with them when he lived in Florida. He was so into these thumbed wonders that they are sometimes called Hemingway polydactyls. One suggestion for a name was Hemingway (Hemi for short). I thought maybe Ernest/Ernie but it's a little too Sesame Street.

I need help! Send me your suggestions (all 3 of you readers out there)! I'm afraid "Kitty" might stick if I don't find a real name soon!