I was considering getting a pair of kittens in May of '95, when I was put in touch with a woman who had rescued a foundling kitten, whom I adopted and named Minx. Wanting to have two, so they could grow up together and would be less likely to drive the adult cats crazy, I went to the local shelter and adopted Wendigo, a large, grey tabby kitten. Minx smacked him around a little at first (despite being about half his size), but they grew fond of each other and got along well.

Wendigo grew up to be a fairly large, rangey cat, fond of lying on his back. He's sweet, loving, and gentle, but something of a wimp. Loud noises terrify him (thunder, passing garbage trucks, the vacuum cleaner), and he hides from them, as well as from visitors. He also gets very upset if other cats pounce on him, even in play, though occasionally he shows signs of standing up for himself instead of just screaming and running away.

He remains on good terms with Minx, and formed a friendship with Red, with whom he had a lot in common. Wendigo's a quiet cat, and can usually be found on my bed or in one of the windowsill nappers, but he likes an occasional pounce game with a feather lure. His coloring has darkened as he matured; as a kitten, he had mackerel tabby stripes all over, but now his body has become almost solid grey, with the stripes only being obvious on his head, legs, and tail.