The cutest thing!

Today Sweetpea was a-stalking... not in the grass. No, she was stalking something in -- under -- the steps.

I watched with great interest, curious. Eventually I discovered what Sweetie stalked.

It was her kitten.

I dubbed the single grey-and-white kitten Smokepuff [Smoky].

I have seen larger kittens play with their mother before. I don't think I've ever seen a month-old kitten playing with her mother -- and watching Sweetpea play with Smoky was incredibly adorable.

From Sweetie's side, Smoky was half-prey, part toy, but always her baby kitten. Sweetpea wasn't moving at half-speed, this was more a lighter effort [than full-out play], although I doubt her baby knows that. 8) Smoky was giving as good as she got.

I thought I'd melt from the cuteness levels...

Mine aren't ginger; image is for size comparison of kitten/cat.

Smoky either responds to her name, or more likely, my voice. Allen and I discussed this t'other day, roleplaying this--

Sweetpea: "Kitten! I trust the Girl. She feeds me. I love the Girl. She is good. The Girl is our friend. She is your friend too."
Smokepuff, obdurate: "The Big Thing picked me up. I do not like the Big Thing."
Smokepuff adds: "Also the Big Thing rubbed my head."
Sweetpea: ...
Sweetpea: { sighs in the manner of cats }

=-=

It's true. I did pick up Smoky. The first time she was out in daylight, Wednesday, she was squished up against the firepit's wheel. I didn't know if Smoky was stuck, lost, afraid -- or in danger from Bad Kitty, who was near her, eating.

So I went and picked her up.

Smoky didn't bite me, but her mouth opened; she was clearly not pleased. (Psychic roar: critical fail!) I set her by the house steps. Smoky promptly skittered underneath them. Safety achieved!

The grey kit on the right looks most like Smokepuff iRL. Pout included. 

Now when Smoky hears me speak, she generally hides under the steps. Sometimes when the door wall opens. I can't blame her. Something scary happened. She's little, her eyes are still blue, and she may not see too well yet.

As Sarah pointed out, it's very likely Smoky will not forgive this.

I can't blame Smoky. I didn't know she was safe or not. I didn't want her injured.

If Smoky is never as fond of me as Sweetie is, that's fine. Sweetpea is the sanguine cat, my grey cat of friendliness -- she loves me.

I love Sweetpea too. I worry when she's not around. I'm very glad my phouka* kitty came back home, and is telling Vee-cat off when Vee tries to claim This Land as hers.

We haven't seen any other kittens. Our assumption is that Smoky is the sole survivor of her litter... Perhaps the journey back to our house was that bad, or some horrible thing drove Sweetpea to bring her kitten back here, or someone catnapped the other kittens and adopted them.

Maybe they're in a good place; we can hope, right?

* Emma Bull's phouka is how Sweetpea got named... the phouka likes to use flower names as endearments. Once we got yard cats, I called them "phouka kittens" and later on, "Hey, sweetpea--" became one of my greetings.

=-=

Smoky's personality isn't well defined yet, and probably won't be for some time. I love her no matter what she turns out to be. Even if I got her gender wrong. 8) Sweetie didn't become sanguine until Shadowcat tried to abandon Sweetpea and Vee-cat as a territorial overcrowding solution last August.

Ah, Vee, sometimes I think calling you Ultraviolet was an error. More UltraViolent. My "evil vicious cat" who -- when I say that to her calmly, as I generally do -- probably mentally nods in acknowledgment.

Vee assumes I'm acknowledging her bossypants nature, combined with Territorial Cat Level: Ultra-High. Heh...