Pip, Pip, Hooray

Recently my neighbor moved away and left her (indoor) cats abandoned outside in the cold.  The neighbors have all sort of pitched in and have been feeding them, but none of us are really sure what to do with them.  They are a little skittish, but pretty affectionate. They meow and purr for attention, you can tell they were loved, which is why it baffles me that someone would just bail on them like that.  I digress.

One cat in particular really got our attention.  He has sleek gray fur and piercing green eyes.  My daughter became immediately attached to him and for unknown reasons named him Pip. It seems to have stuck. Naturally, she begged me to let her keep him.  NO. WAY.

I share custody of the kids with their dad, and on his weeks, the cats take to me in Emily's stead.  Pip has really turned on the charm with me.  He approaches me gently, purring and meowing, then falls over on his side and starts stretching and rolling around the ground, as if to say, "See how comfortable I am with you?  You should totally adopt me,"   Nope nope nope.

No, cat.  You can't live with us.  Go away.

I don't care how adorable your

 meow is, we aren't adopting you.

I mean it.  I'm totally serious.

I'm not falling for that whole look-how-cute-I-am

 'Nermal' routine, so don't waste your time.

Nope.  Ain't Happenin'.

. . . 

Crap.

Welcome to the family, Pipperoni.