8. mister charlie.

Meet Charlie. Charlie, meet the internet.

I don’t think either one of us walked into the Animal Rescue League’s shelter on Saturday with the notion that we’d be adopting a cat. Sure, it’s been months since Miles died, and I was feeling like it was time for a new cat in the house … and he was pretty persistent when we saw him in the shelter. After spending a little time with him, we paid a deposit and came home to do a little kitten proofing in the house.

And after a stop to replenish our cat gear, we picked him up and brought him home. He’s doing well, too. Used the litter box? Check. Scratching post? Check. Food and water consumption? Check. He’s a little too bitey, and he’s clearly struggling with the idea that he can climb up on some furniture but not the rest. But that’s all stuff we’ll figure out.

We thought about the name Charlie on Saturday, for two reasons: his mustache is the obvious one, but there is also the Grateful Dead song “Mr. Charlie” and the line: “Mister Charlie told me so,” perfect for talkative cat. A number of you guys came up with the same suggestion, so there it is: Mister Charlie.

And, as you can see, he’s a sweetie. That part required no training.