Sunday night, I was taking out the trash, and, as it was an intolerably warm evening, was walking around barefooted. This has nothing to do with the story, mind; I just want to bitch about the heatwave all of the US has been going through for the past few months.
Anyway. As I walked my trash to the curbside, I overheard a distinctly annoying meowing. Now, my mom has taken care of a stray cat for the past year or two, in addition to our ageing indoor cat, and this was neither of them as far as I could tell. The meowing was incessant, and as I peered into the darkened distance (my toes wiggling in the cool grass beneath me), I saw a white and tan spotted tabby cat approaching me, still meowing. Once she saw that I was mostly harmless, and after I had disposed of my trash, she continued to meow and sit, looking at me as if I had eight heads.
Perplexed, I got my mom, who had heard the meowing as well and quite rightly wanted to know what the hell was going on. The stray we had been taking care of - Pouncer - approached and nonchalantly sniffed the new cat, then promptly fell onto his back to do the 'cute cat' thing: batting the air, etc. The other cat, still meowing, continued to meow and did nothing else. No attacking, no rightful ownership of territory, or any hissing. This was new to me.
My mom told me not to mess with the cat as she might have rabies. My sister and her friends, as they were walking out the door, noticed the meowing and asked if the cat was going through heat. Mentally slapping our foreheads, my mom reluctantly fed the cat, which is how it usually begins.
The very next day, the cat came back, this time minus the meowing. Well, the incessant meowing, anyway. My mom had put an ad in the paper about the cat, but decided to name her anyway. My sis had suggested Picasso, while my mom decided on Dixie. However, I came up with something far better: Annyong (I don't know who will get the reference; I know Zeni will), and my mom and sis agreed. They also agreed that, if the original owner doesn't show up or call, the cat will be mine to take care of once I move out - all because I named the damn thing.
Good thing I like cats.