old cat lady.

Today was an interesting/awesome day.

It was also a blogging failure of a day because I forgot my camera at home and therefore don't have pics of the awesomness.

I'll show you a pic from yesterday to make up for the lack of pics from today. This is my neighborhood. The weather has been a-ma-zing lately, 70s and kind of sunny. It's the last of our dress weather until the cold, unforgiving winter hits, so I'm wearing the heck out of my dresses until the time comes to bring out the tights.

This gorgeous weather also means that everyones clothes are being hung out to dry en mass:

I like sunny laundry days.

Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to my new little friend...

This box was brought home from a market today. I spent 3 hours at the market with 3 friends debating this decision. In the end, I went for it and ended up with this little box tucked away in a bag hanging from my shoulder on a bike ride home.

So what's inside?....

...my new (so far nameless) baby kitten!

I'm officially an old cat lady.

I've been needing a pet lately. Or a man. But a pet is far easily attainable in this land of yellow nose-pickers.

So today after the gym, I got on my bike, called up a friend, and ended up at a pet market. We stared at fish, turtles, hamsters, birds, and a whole aisle of really sad dog stores (pet care and pet rights are very different here).

We were about ready to leave empty handed when we stumbled upon this little guy.

He was cheap. I asked the seller why he was so cheap and she got a little huffy at me. According to her, the cat is her friend's cat's baby. Her friend bred her cat and then gave the left over babies to her to sell at her store at the market. He was so cheap because he was given to her.

He is 8 weeks old and has apparently already had shots, but I have to take him in next month for more? Not too sure on that. She clipped his nails, sold me some food, and off I went on my bike with a kitty hanging from my shoulder.

I plan to get him checked out by a vet this week (once I find one).

The thing is...I'm not allowed to have a pet in the dorm and the little sucker keeps crying! Any tips on how to get the little guy to shhhhhhh? He cries in his litter box, he cried when I took a shower, and he cries when he forgets where his food bowl is. I am hoping that he is just adjusting and will grow out of his crying.

I will be gone all day tomorrow doing student observations, so I hope he doesn't cry all day while I am gone. If I get found out I'm not sure what will happen. (although I'm not scared of the dorm guards, I just don't want to have to get rid of him this soon).

I see there being a few different ways this pet-situation could go. 1. he gets sicker than I can afford. 2. he claws everything and I give him away. 3. the dorm guards find out and I have to give him away. OR what I am hoping for...we spend a great next 3 years together and I take him home to America to be a part of my family until he is old and gray. I'm really hoping for a long term experience with this little dude (as opposed to when I had a rabbit in Ch.ina a few years ago...that didn't end so well :/ )

For now I am enjoying him and thinking of names! I want him to have a Chi.nese name and one that is easily said by people who don't speak Chi.nese.

So far I've got:

1. Xiao Hu (little tiger)

2. Xiao Bai Hu (little white tiger)

3. Zhu Zhu (pearl pearl)

4. Di Di (little brother)

5. Mao Mao (cat cat - also can mean, furry)

Which name do you like for my new little dormmate??

Wish me and kitty luck not getting caught! (I am WAY too old to be caring about dorm rules, fyi).

walk slow. xoxo.