Chakaal

Today is our first full day with Chakaal, the new kitten, a two month old (we think) white-and gray bundle of kitten energy. She is, as far as we know, the sole survivor of a litter that was thrown into a mudpuddle at a building site at a subdivision. Judging by the abrasion on her forehead, we think she landed face-first, but seems none the worse for her ordeal. We're not sure how long she was out there before she was rescued by a resident of the subdivision. Four of the six degrees of separation later, she's in our apartment.

She's named for a character in the Groo comic books. That Chakaal is a sexy, take-no-guff warrior woman in the grand tradition of Sergio Aragones art. Our Chakaal is a cute little ball of energy who takes no crap from either Sonja or Chessie even though Chessie is easily 8 times her size.

I've discovered something strange about people as I tell them how we came to acquire Chakaal. Some people who would not normally hurt a flea have expressed an urge to use shrimp forks to gouge the eyeballs out of the heads of whoever left her there. They also have some very creative ideas about where to throw them off a truck.