Eevee [redux]

Angela says: Eevee is about ten months old now (at least that's what we assume). She was rescued from a box that someone left outside of a building nearby and so there is no way to be certain. The vet said upon first examining her that she was about five or six weeks old which is very young to be separated from her mother. She was very tiny but adorable, and so I couldn't say no to her despite the facts that I'm allergic to cats and my landlords said no pets. But she bowled them over after five minutes and I was allowed to keep her.

Eevee has many strange behaviors. She is fascinated with water and believes she is entitled to drink from any source she chooses, which includes the glass of water that I (was) drinking from. On occasion she drinks out of the toilet, too. I have found her in the middle of the night sitting on my dresser, trying to figure out how to get the last sips of water out of a tall glass. My research shows that she has some of the trademark features of Maine Coons - loves water, medium to long hair, the "M" on her forehead, extremely long whiskers and ears, and a gigantic tail (it's over a foot long!). Currently she only weighs 5.5 pounds, but Maine Coons are known to continue growing for three to four years, so I have no idea how big she'll wind up being. She still gets a little bit of shrimp each day, a suggestion my mom had when she was underweight and we wanted something healthy to feed her to help her bulk up. It has become a routine each evening and she knows the word "shrimp" so she'll come running to the kitchen if she hears it.

She likes to sleep inside a fabric grocery bag that I have now equipped with blankets, and I walk Eevee outside on a harness because she loves to be outdoors. We go out and she eats grass, plays with bugs, and generally acts like a dog. She is very territorial… when she's by herself she is perfectly fine and affectionate, but when introduced to other cats -- friendly cats, may I add -- she growls, hisses, and generally causes havoc. The only cat she wants to befriend is my landlord's outdoor cat which always ends with Eevee being the one getting hissed at!