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The arrival of a new little pet is often momentous. A friend of mine got a new puppy which made me appreciate cats all the more.

My cat, Brutus, didn’t arrive without incident, however.

My sister Janet, a veterinary technician, is always calling to try to cajole me into taking yet another dog or cat that needs a home. My guard must have been down back in July of 2004, because when she started in by saying how cute the little kitten was — “Julie, he’s really fuzzy!” — I just couldn’t say no. I can always say no; if I didn’t, we’d be overrun. But for some reason…I couldn’t say no.

Dad was, luckily, down visiting my sister and was able to bring the little critter back home.

The five-hour drive back may not have been a lot of fun for dad.