These are some early photos of Mirabelle. She was so thin!
We first met Mirabelle on November 17, 2001. Our friend Jenny was visiting from D.C., and we were showing her around the city. We were driving down a quiet residential street when I saw a cat sitting on the sidewalk. As usual, I asked Brian to pull over so I could pet the cat (I do this all the time).
We pulled over, and I got out of the car and started petting this small and thin (but very friendly) black cat. There was a woman nearby raking leaves, and I asked, "Is this your cat?" She came over and said, "No, she is a stray that has been staying at our house."
The woman had tried unsuccessfully to find the owners, and told us that she was planning on taking the kitty to the shelter. Instead, she entrusted the cat to us, and we have been grateful ever since.
From the start, she was incredibly affectionate. She let us hold her, even though she didnot know us. She was calm, and liked to sit on our laps. We asked Jenny to be Mirabelle's godmother, because she helped us decide to take Mirabelle home with us.
Jenny and Mirabelle
Shortly after bringing her home, we learned from our vet that she had tested positive for the feline leukemia virus. We were distraught over the news, but as we have learned, a FeLV+ positive cat can live a happy and healthy (and sometimes long) life.
Mirabelle is named for the main character in Steve Martin's novel "Shopgirl." An excerpt:
Mirabelle has two cats. One is normal, the other is a reclusive kitten who lives under a sofa and rarely comes out. Very rarely. Once a year. This gives Mirabelle the feeling that there is a mysterious stranger living in her apartment whom she never sees but who leaves evidence of his existence by subtly moving small, round objects from room to room. This description could easily apply to Mirabelle's few friends, who also leave evidence of their existence, in missed phone messages and rare get-togethers, and are also seldom seen. This is because they view her as an oddnik, and their failure to include her leaves her alone on many nights. She knows that she needs new friends but introductions are hard to come by when your natural state is shyness.
(from http://www.kcrw.com/dialabook/shopgirl.htm) Our Mirabelle is not shy. In fact, she is a very bold cat in a very tiny body.
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