This, Everybody, Is TeaCake

He t'aint taller than a stack of books. And he's the newest edition to our family.

TeaCake was rescued off the streets of L.A. on the fourth of July when he was only three weeks old. He and his three sisters had been abandoned. No one knows what happened to the mama. The kittens were taken to a local shelter that had no means of caring for infant animals. The shelter was planning to put the kitties down almost immediately. An organization called Best Friends swooped up the precious kitties, took them in and bottle fed them until they could be weaned. My friend Keith and his wonderful girlfriend Zoey took TeaCake and one of his sisters in to foster until someone would adopt them permanently. Keith posted pictures of the kitties every day, until I just couldn't take it any more. How is anyone supposed to resist a daily bombardment of this?

Husband is funny about new pets. He always fights me on getting them. He didn't want Lupe, definitely not Carmen, but now he loves those dogs like nothing else. The Sisters Pug howl with happiness -- howl! -- when he comes home. They don't howl for anyone else. I asked him why he was so resistant on getting a kitten and after a bunch of barking about another mouth to feed and another life to be responsible for he mentioned the fact that he is still broken up about Puffy. Puffy was our tabby rescue from years back. He died five years ago. Husband is still sore over. We all know Husband will fall hard for TeaCake. He ain't fooling anyone.

We are slowly introducing the lil' guy to the dogs. The pugs are so anxious to be all up in the kitty's face. TeaCake's like, What is up with these big-headed cats? But the dogs have been tremendously patient. They are willing and able to give this relationship a shot -- please, mami, let us just sniff him, JUST ONE TIME! -- but TeaCake is a little overwhelmed by them and the intro will go as slowly as it needs to.

Lupe is more proficient at patience. She and kitty got pretty close in our bed this morning, where we have early snuggle time. I built a little play pen for TeaCake near my desk. Poor pugs!
I named him TeaCake because of Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. It's one of my favorite books of all time. TeaCake was a drifter that became Janie's true love. He charmed her, empowered her and brought her happiness.

Here's what TeaCake thinks of the book The Biology of Belief. I kinda feel the same. Here's a couple heart-melters for the road Welcome, little sweetheart. We are so happy that you are with us now.

Thanks so much to Best Friends and to Keith & Zoey for being so huge-hearted by giving TeaCake and his sisters a shot at not only a life, but a good one.