Oops, we did it again.
When we decided we wanted to adopt Plié, we also decided that we didn't want to adopt her brothers, Adagio and Bourreé. They were - ARE - the sweetest boys and they got along wonderfully with each other, but neither of them got along all that well with Plié. We knew, however, that we eventually wanted a second kitten (the saying, "one cat is half of a cat, two cats is a whole cat" is true - cats become their best selves when they have a friend/companion/sibling) and figured we'd find one we and Plié loved as we continued to foster.
We happened to see on our rescue's Facebook page a post about a little pip-squeak - appropriately named Popeye - who would need to have his leg amputated. My friend, Jenn, casually brought up that "Plié" and "Popeye" sounded really cute together, and when I happened to mention what Jenn had said to our rescue friend, she asked if I wanted to take Popeye home to see if the two might be a good pair in real life. Just as I had worked harder than ever before to keep Plié alive, she had worked harder than ever before to keep Popeye alive, and she desperately wanted Popeye to find just the right home. It turns out that just the right home is our home.
It didn't happen overnight. Popeye was ready to be besties with Plié from day one, but Plié did NOT like Popeye at first. It took almost a week for her to stop hissing at him (meanwhile, he grew somewhat leery of her), but eventually she came around and they started interacting peacefully. A few days after that they started wrestling, and the rest is history.
Wrestling was an exciting development because they were getting along, but it also made us nervous because Popeye was only a couple of weeks post-surgery to remove his back right leg.
In addition to being ridiculously adorable, Popeye is playful and fun. He is tough as nails, works incredibly hard to keep up with his new older and bigger sister, and doesn't let only having three legs slow him down. He also expresses all emotions by nibbling/biting, so while it's endearing now, it's also something we'll have to work on as he gets older, bigger, and stronger. All in all, he's a delight and we feel incredibly lucky to have him.
Welcome to the family, Popeye Ferris. We love you as much as the Sailorman loves spinach.