Look What I Found

Or rather, what found me. I got home on Sunday and went down to the basement to feed the cat and I could hear meowing. I had just seen Gizmo upstairs, so I knew it wasn't her. I looked out the basement window, but couldn't see anything.

Later, when I was in the kitchen making dinner I heard the meowing again. I still couldn't see anything, so I figured it was one of the neighbors' cats. The meowing didn't stop, though, and when I went out to water the plants at dusk, this is what I found:

I ignored it, and I haven't fed it, but it's still here. This morning when I went out to water the plants again, the cute little kitty followed me around rubbing up against my legs every time I stood still. It's clearly used to being around humans, so I'm guessing that either someone dropped it off nearby, or some little girl has lost her precious little kitten. I've posted a Found Cat notice on Craigslist and will probably print up some flyers tomorrow, but I'm almost completely convinced that this is a sign. I've been thinking about adopting a cat to keep Gizmo company for quite a while now. And this one is so adorable that I can't stop thinking about it. My only concern is that Gizmo might not be interested in a new brother or sister.

Just in case I decide to keep it, I made an appointment to get it checked out at the vet, but they couldn't get me in until next week. In the meantime, it's really hot out and I'm not going to leave the poor thing without water and food. So, it looks like I'm adopting a new cat unless someone claims it soon.

I'm also planning to get a separate litter box, food/water dishes and toys for the new cat tomorrow--just in case--and if I bring it indoors before the appointment next week, I'll keep it separated until it gets checked for any diseases. Other than that, I'm not sure how best to go about bringing the two together. Has anyone out there had experience with introducing a new cat to an older one who's had complete rule of the house for more than three years? I'll take any tips I can get. And if you think I should just take it to the SPCA and be done with it, let me know. Everybody needs a reality check once in a while.