Introducing the Newest Member of the Sarah’s Cucina Bella Household

There’s been a new addition to our home.

And honestly, it was among the most unexpected new additions. But sometimes, it’s the things we don’t expect that turn out to be the greatest gift of all.

Meet Bippity.

This precocious, curious kitten has sauntered his way into our hearts and added joy to our days while keeping us on our toes. He loves playing with a feathered toy on a string, kneading my favorite blanket and dinnertime. Oh, my, does he love his dinnertime. This kitten comes galloping when he hears the can of food hit the countertop.

A perfect addition to the Sarah’s Cucina Bella household.

We adopted Bippity earlier this month from a rescue organization. Now about six months old, this black, short-haired kitty with little patches of white has completely captured our hearts already.

That, in of itself, was something I never expected to say.

I swore I’d never have a cat. But over the last few years, my kids and I have all missed having pets in our house. Pets are wonderful companions. They’re also wonderful for kids to grow up with, giving unconditional love and teaching responsibility — especially to older kids who help with their care.

It was my kids who suggested a cat. While we’d all love a dog, finding one that won’t aggravate my allergies is hard (and expensive).As time wore on, the idea grew on me.

Less work, they said. More independent, they said.

For me, the cat had to meet certain criteria. It needed to be male, preferably black or grey, needed to be young (so that it wouldn’t have any ingrained bad habits) and needed to be a rescue. And the kids had to agree to handle all litterbox cleaning and commit to doing so every single day. They did.

We started looking well over a year ago, mostly through our local animal shelter. However, we didn’t find the right cat for us.

Then, recently, a colleague told me about her aunt who fosters rescue kittens. She sent a link to a few of the profiles. And I fell in love.

When you found the right pet, you just know. Or, at least, that’s been my experience. That was completely the case when I saw Bippity. He came from the south, from a high-kill shelter. And his foster mom, my colleague’s aunt, told me how sweet he was, good with both dogs and kids. She invited us to meet him.

On a cold December evening, we met Bippity in his foster home. He was sweet and let us hold him before demonstrated his love of play and climbing toys. We laughed. We connected.

I applied to adopt him the next day. We couldn’t wait to add him to the Sarah’s Cucina Bella household.

Pets add a certain richness and spice to life, don’t they?

Since coming home, Bippity has grown comfortable in our house. He’s found nooks, crannies and windowsills he loves to perch on. He’s claimed my favorite blanket has his own. At night, he alternately sleeps downstairs or in his cat bed in the upstairs hallway. When he wakes (or wants attention, or isn’t sure where we are, or wants to get in somewhere, or … I could go on), he mews like it’s a sweet question just waiting to be answered.

How can one resist that?