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Ok, so what else do you need to know about this story?

Just after we officially named her Lucille N. Greenwood, because she was Loose-y in the neighborhood (geddit?!), a friend from work suggested we call her Ocho like an eight ball. It stuck, yes because looks a little like an eight ball, but also because she is the eighth cat Lolly and I have had together.

We first brought Ocho upstairs to meet the other cats in the travel crate. Little poked his pokey face right into the grate and she hissed. Gomez sat on top and peeped down at her, and she hissed. Ashley kind of meandered by on tiptoe, not overly curious but was hissed at too. This was very surprising! We thought they would be freaking out, especially Gomez who is afraid of almost everything. Weezie stayed the farthest away, peering around the furniture and making crabby wah-wah noises. After a few meetings with the crate (they didn’t last long), Ocho graduated to the leash. But we didn’t need it. She didn’t run after anyone to beat them up the way Weezie had when she was new. And nobody was chasing her either. Only some creepy stalking, and a bit of curious sniffage, followed by some slapping, and that was about it for the orientals. I tried a few things to help facilitate the integration plan, including trying to get them all to play with Da Bird. Ocho wasn’t at all ready for this yet, and calmly stared at me as I waved the toys around. “You might was well be belly dancing for her.” said Lolly. “Don’t poke my eye out with that thing.”

For a while Ocho mostly came out at night. Mostly.

Around this time another neighbor called, sorry she hadn’t called sooner, to ask if something had happened to “Mittens.” She hadn’t seen “Mittens” around and became concerned that my poster had been to try to notify someone that she had been hurt or run over or something bad. I reassured her that that was not the case. In fact the cat was “pretty much here all the time these days.” She responded that “Mittens” was a nice cat and sweet and all, but “not like she is ever going to just sit on your lap and stuff.” At least, I think that is what she said because Ocho was wrapped around my head, purring loudly in my ear as we snuggled together on the sofa eating bon bons and kissing.

So, the integration is ongoing. I receive regular email updates from Lolly while I am at work. E.g…

Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:10:04
Subject: 8 is now in window.
We have achieved interest in and hoppage into kitchen window.
Window is a go!
:-*

She likes to sit in the kitchen window and look out at the neighbors and the chihuahuas that she does not belong to. Of course this has been one of Weezie’s favorite places to sit too.

Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:36:26
Subject: effing hell
I let Weezie out from upstairs.
She re-aggressed Ocho, who was sitting peaceably on the sofa, within 90 seconds.
She does NOT think Ocho should be on the sofa.
I feel bad, I told her no and put her back upstairs, while she just looked at me with her big round peeps.
Help!

If is wasn’t for crabby, jealous, Weezie Meep (who I love most extremely), Ocho would probably be sleeping in the bed with us. She did come up to the bedroom one morning, at about 4:30 a.m., and we awoke to a screaming hissy fit. Being thrown by Weezie, of course. Ocho was cowering behind a curtain. We can’t understand why she’s such a jealous freak. Really they should get along the best, seeing as they have the most in common – being tough girls from the mean streets, knocked up and homeless – but instead of bonding about their past troubles and present fondness for shrimp, Weezie is a bully. However, Ocho could totally kick Weezie’s ass if she wanted to. Weezie is pillowy soft. She is a fuzzy mitten stuffed with pudding. She clearly doesn’t possess this self-knowledge, that in reality she is like mush and Ocho is like a warrior princess (especially now that she has gained a pound or two since moving in. The Princess likes to eat.) So, we’ll be making an “It Gets Better” video for Ocho. Because Weezie is very, very emphatic that Ocho is not her kitty.