Just thought I'd catch you up on our newest addition.

Paulette has been living outside, guarded by Uncle Romeo (at his
previous place he had a wife and several litters and seems to be one
of those guys who goes all gushy over the little ones.)

She is still very skittish towards humans, but Uncle Romeo has taught
her that if she sits at a certain place on the wall and meows quietly,
that a dish of food will magically appear before her!

Last week she decided she could touch my hand.  I lean out the window
and she bats my fingers with her paw.  This has progressed to grabbing
my fingers with both paws and tasting them, while purring like crazy.
(Those teeny paws are so soft!  And the pads are dark grey, like her
fur.  I know someone in this group who would say "Eeeeek!  <thud>"
over them.)  However, if my hand passes next to her head she skittles
off backwards.  I think she knows I intend to grab her, even though
I'm moving slowly.

I spent 30 minutes yesterday dangling a large shoelace with a knot in
it ("mowsie") in front of her.  I was inside and she was outside on
the wall.  She wanted that mowsie very much, and kept getting herself
into "leap into the house" position, but kept changing her mind.
Soon...

She's big enough now that the other cats hiss at her if she tries to
rub her face in theirs too often.  Uncle Romeo, who till now  has let
her have first eating at the outside dish, told her in no uncertain
terms that she may NOT stick her face in his bowl while he's eating.
Now there are two outside dishes, but she has to make sure he has the
same stuff she does in the bowl, so I'm not sure things have improved.

Bitties are definitely a lot of fun.  I'm glad I'm on summer holidays
now so I can spend more time enticing her in.  Although Queen Cherry's
opinion is that Paulette is about three cats too many, Emma is eager
to play with her little sister and Jona is putting up with her so long
as Jona gets enough attention to know she's still my baby!

Cantate