SOPHIA'S FIRST DAY

sophia

Decision made and acted upon. Picked up kitten at 10am in Halsey Drug store parking lot. Rain was falling lightly as she was put into my hands. I had a name in mind for her, Sophia, waiting to meet her before naming her. Am now entertaining the name Phoebe, too. Teena, who handed her to me, said I could call her Butterfly, after Caterpillar. I gave it consideration on the way home, it seems such a natural name for her. I remembered the butterflies are going extinct here. Five years ago the clusters of Joe Pye flowers shimmered with butterfly wings all over them. Two years ago, they were less, but plenty. Last year just a few butterflies per stand of Joe Pyes. This year a stand of Joe Pyes most of the time had no butterflies, sometimes one. Next year we'll not have any butterflies. I don't want to name my baby after something the next generation of kids will only know about from children's book illustrations. I never see honeybees anymore and seldom a bumble bee. In an acre of wildflowers I saw very few bugs. Less bugs + less wildflower seeds = less birds. Phoebes, fly-catchers, will go out with the rest of the birds. Sophia is a name that goes back to the furthest reaches of ancient times. It's universal in European languages.

curious kitty

She has just now left the carrier I brought her home in. Put it on the bedroom floor with door open and a small bowl of water inside, left her to make her own decision about when to emerge. This is seven hours after bringing her home. She spent the day curled up asleep. My feeling is she would be nervous from the exchange, the ride and an unfamiliar place with new scents. She is walking around, smelling everything, creeping into places under the desk. She found the litter box, stepped into it, stood in it, looking at everything around. She found a little food I put down for her, sniffed and didn't bite. She's exploring the bedroom now. She has come to me a few times for a touch. She approaches me unafraid. Thought I would let her explore until she's satisfied. I'll let her get into things, knock things over.  She needs to learn what will hold her and what will not. She has emerged from the bedroom and is rubbing on my ankle.

a line down the back like a donkey

 

Just now took some grain out to the donkeys. Kitten ran to me when I walked in the door. She needs a toy. Now she is saying, Mew, mew, like she's looking for sister or mama. Next she scratched her claws on a small piece of walnut wood, frustration. She has gone, now, to another room. Low clouds, completely overcast sky, raining all day, too dark to take pictures. I'll put her under a light and get a few pictures for you to see her. She is fast. I thought she was in another room and then she was at my feet. She has found I am the only other creature in here. Thought I'd let her explore and sniff, become familiar with her new world. She's a common gray cat with black stripes and yellow eyes. Brings to mind one of my favorite old-time fiddle tune titles, Gray Cat On A Tennessee Farm. I like the name Sophia with the A on the end, like Sophia Loren. It's kind of awkward for an American to add the A speaking it. But there is no awkwardness saying Sophia Loren. Sophie is good too, but I like Sophia better. I wanted to wait until I'd experienced her before settling on a name. As I know her so far, I believe the name will suit her, and she the name, until they become one.

Sophia's interactive spongebob

Made baby's first toy. A small chunk of natural sponge on a string about five feet long. The string is a toy too. The natural sponge is soft, light weight. When it swings and hits her in the face it only bounces off. It has good bounce. It doesn't need feathers or colors or catnip scent. The swiss cheese holes make a good texture for claws to snag. I snapped several pictures of her under a lamp. I put her down where I wanted her under the light and she set off in motion exploring. I let her explore. She went to the food I put down for her, sniffed, then scratched the floor around it like she was burying it. I suspect she's been eating dry kitten chow and I've put down Caterpillar's favorite, Fancy Feast Trout Feast. Sophia may think it is just one more thing that smells like Caterpillar. She will have it eaten before morning. It feels good in the heart to have a cat person in the house again.

sophia in her new home

 

 

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