WE LIVE IN THE CAPITAL OF ILLINOIS!  


edited by D.R. Ransdell   

 
 
 
 
 
 

Niagara

I'm Niagara. My mom and dad named me after Niagara Falls because they had just visited the Falls for their honeymoon, and they rescued me from daddy's farm on the way home.

 

I used to be shy, but I got over it when my half-brother, Marqui, came to live with us. Some days I still have to fight him for the attention that used to be ALL mine.

 

Marqui

As you can imagine, I'm much more active than my older sister. She's starting to show signs of her age! I spend all day running around, trying to break through the invisible fence that my dad had to put up because of the pesky neighbors. That's why, of course, I need to spend plenty of time sleeping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pelito

For a darned long time, I was an orphan. Then I noticed a pretty blonde lady in the neighborhood where my old house was. She looked too nice to turn me away. I kept coming around and coming around and finally she gave in. I've been feasting ever since! But since you're probably wondering about my name, I'll share the details.

Christening

My first name was Pelito
because my hair struck out
all over my face disproportionately.
A young kitten then,
underweight from being homeless,
my hairs were twice as long
as my body, and even the
grandfather human,
who was not that fond of cats,
couldn’t get over how cute I was.

Those hairs may have saved me
because all the humans liked
my goofy look,
and since I needed a home,
I was in no position to be particular.
But after a year in a loving family
where I got plenty of food,
the normal thing happened.
I grew into my hairs,
and then I grew past them.
I grew so much that when
the grandparents saw me again
they could hardly believe I was me.

They said they had no choice
but to find a new name.
Just as I was about to suggest
Gingersnap or Orange Knight
or Mouse Slayer,
the grandmother picked me up
and shook me. “What do you think?”
she asked her husband.
He shook his head.
“Pelito was only a starter name,”
he said. “From now one,
we’ll call him Pelo Grande.”
I might have preferred Bird Terror
or Lizard Liquidizer,
but at least no other cat on the block
has the very same name.