Aila has been diligently saving money -- and even selling some of her stuff -- for the last year and a half in order to get a kitten. Angela has done a lot of research on hypoallergenic cats (because as far as we can tell, Angela, myself, and Aila are all allergic to cats), and after much discussion we decided to take the plunge on a Siberian.

Angela also did a lot of research on breeders, and narrowed the list down to just a couple of breeders that seemed to be reputable and responsive -- one in Woodstock, one in Quebec, one in Michigan, and one in Arizona. When a kitten became available in Woodstock, we decided that it was a good opportunity for us. We showed Aila a picture of the kitten, and asked her what she would like to name it. She said: "Poppy, because cats are always popping up!"

So, this is Poppy! Angela and Aila drove to Woodstock to pick her up on September 19th. She is a beautiful little kitten, and very well behaved. Siberians are typically large cats and good jumpers. They supposedly have certain dog-like properties, in that they will be excited when you get home, affectionate, and will respond to calls.

Having a kitten around has been very interesting so far. Certain interior doors have to remain shut, we can't leave exterior doors wide open like we used to, and I have to watch the kids (especially Kai) very closely if Poppy is in the room to make sure she doesn't get hurt. However, Poppy definitely has an effect on the kids. Before, it was always tough to get Aila out of bed in the morning. Now, I just open her door, Poppy goes in and jumps up on the bed, and Aila is instantly awake to give her a big hug. Kai can be totally upset but then if I bring him to the room where Poppy is, he points at her and says her name (which he pronounces "EEE!"), and it seems to calm him down.

Technical Details: This photo was taken with my 5D Mark II + EF 70-300 IS at 300mm, ISO 3200, f/5.6 for 1/100th of a second.