Trixie

 I mentioned back in May that we had adopted a kitten.

Before the trails exploded into flowers and greenery

That little kitten turned three months old today - one month and one day since we brought her home.

When she was so tiny I had to give her a boost to see out the window

She has definitely not been helpful with productivity while I work from home.

This was her favourite spot to sleep when I'd bring her into my office during the first few days

This is her most common perch now - where she can do the most damage

We've had some pretty serious discussions about data integrity

Even when she's not physically impeding me from working, she's an awful distraction.

How much work would you get done with this at your elbow?

Or this on a chair right behind you?

Now, with two cats already in the house before her, you may ask why we felt we needed a third. Well, we mostly got her to be a companion for Fionn - while now about 3.5yrs old, he still behaves like a kitten, and has desperately needed a playmate.

My poor boy would get so bored, and cry during the day for someone to play with him

Esme is not a playful kitty. She is a huge suck toward Tanker and I, but to all other cats she is an absolute miserypants: hissing and growling, and swatting or biting if another cat comes close. She isn't aggressive - she just wants to be left alone.

Preferably in her hammock in a sunbeam

The "tortie-tude" is REAL with her, so that left my little man in a position where he had loads of energy, and no-one to help him burn it off. 

So he'd come and distract me, too.

We needed another kitty around - preferably a very young kitten (so the other two would accept it) with high drive to help them keep up with Fionny. We also wanted a female, as we had all too much experience in the past few years (before our old tomcat Karma passed away in February) with the literal pissing contest that can happen between two male cats.

Enter: this adorable little nugget

We gave Trixie a few days in her own room to try to settle in after we brought her home (on a Monday night), then come Thursday evening we let her out while Tank and I were both around to supervise. We did put her back in her own room that night, but when Tanker returned from work on Friday we released her for the final time, hoping that the other kitties wouldn't get aggressive.

The first cautious sniffs..

Fortunately, Fionny has been an excellent big brother to her! Despite him weighing in at over 13lbs and Trix starting out as 2lbs of floof (as of today she's up to 3.8lbs, so he still outweighs her by nearly a factor of 3), they play together wonderfully.

With the little one usually being the aggressor!

It only took a couple of weeks before I wandered into the bedroom and found them together on the bed..

Not exactly cuddling..

..but definitely very comfortable together.

It's not a perfect arrangement: Fionny still gets bored when Trixie is snoozling away, or lose his temper a bit when she refuses to stop attacking him (particularly his tail). I've had to help the poor boy escape her sorties on a few occasions, and have had to pull the two of them apart now and then when they get just a little too rough with each other.

But more times than not, they're quite content together.

Trixie herself is a handful - I mean what kitten isn't? Her tiny teeth and claws are razor sharp, and she uses them liberally on anything within reach. 

She looks vulnerable, but in fact she is pointy side up.
IT'S A TRAP

Tiny as she is, you wouldn't think that would give her much range, but it turns out she's built of springs as well! We had thought we'd have to help her up on things for a little while, but she could jump up on the futon in her room the very first day, and can easily jump up on our bed despite it being high enough that my feet don't touch the floor (by a good number of inches) when I sit on the side of it!

And whatever she can't jump, she'll just claw her way up

Just this morning, as a matter of fact, she worked out how to get up on the bathroom counter...and promptly stole one of Tanker's toothbrushes, then jumped down and buggered off with it!

Then sat in the hall and tried to tear its bristles out.
(Yes, we'll be getting him a new one)

The little buttmunch is almost impossible to keep off the kitchen counter, particularly when you're trying to get her breakfast or dinner ready.

She hasn't quite put it together that it takes even longer when I have to lift her off the counter and drop her on the floor half a dozen times in the process

I may also need to start keeping lids on any cookware I leave on the stove

I have puncture wounds and scabs all over from her either failing to jump up on my leg at my desk, or from her frantic flailing when lifted off of something she was exploring or attacking. 

Or just trying not to fall off somewhere precarious, like the back of my office chair

She's an absolute terror in so many ways!

Like her penchant for hanging out in the box where I keep my running gloves and gaiters

..but she's so absolutely adorable and entertaining that it's impossible to get mad at her.

With her snow white and spotty back and pink little nose!

Even Esme has started to - if not actually warm to her - at least defrost a bit. 

I wasn't quite quick enough to catch the nose boop, but it happened!

To be honest, Esme is probably less surly toward Trixie now than she is toward Fionn...unless Trix attacks her, or there's food around. Then it's definitely growly hissy time, but otherwise she's been remarkably chill for the past week or so.

And it's still only been just over a month!

So while my ankle is still a jerk and there are still just so many things to stress about, at least I have an adorable, ridiculous little distraction to keep me laughing while the world burns.

She's not a cuddler, but at least she'll tolerate me getting close

I'll also say that there are few joys in the world like watching a tiny kitten chase a full-grown tomcat around the house, or for that matter jumping in circles while chasing their own tail! I'd say I can't wait to see what she'll be like when she grows up, but I'm more than happy to enjoy the journey through her silly kitten months for now.