Growing Up

The kittens are growing up.

We went to the vet yesterday, and each now weighs almost five pounds. Both kittens are big enough to jump on the kitchen table and pester me while I try to eat. Mookie's meows now sound cat-like instead of baby-like. And it's getting harder and harder to pick them up simultaneously.

Perhaps the most striking development is their... sexual maturity. Their gender is most definitely no longer a mystery. In fact, the testosterone is flowing a bit too freely. Last night I stood by helplessly as the kittens stalked Nanuq, who is three times their size. They chased him all over the house until he got so upset he slammed his head into a wall. I scolded them, and let Nanuq into the basement so he could have some peace.

I can't really get mad at them, though. I had a tough week, and having them near me made it easier. One day I had real heaviness in my heart. As I sat down to watch TV, Mookie took residence on my neck. Soon Tug was jealous, and he crawled into my lap. After an hour of purring, it's hard to feel as angry, or to think about the unjustness of life, and the world.

Philadelphia received some much-needed rain this week. With it came waves of chill and dampness, the rooty smell of autumn. The trees have their last blast of green, a final explosion of energy before they begin to turn orange and copper and yellow, wilting and falling to earth to start the process of life all over again. I love the fall, but it makes me sad.