Meet the Vermin - Part 3

The most recent vermin addition is Hilfy Chanur. If you would like to meet the character she was named for, read The Pride of Chanur by C J Cherryh. They have quite a lot in common: a bold, adventurous spirit that sometimes leads to trouble.

Hilfy was a stray we found in a restaurant parking lot on a very cold night in October 2002. She skittered across our path, then stopped near the car. The b/f meowed at her, and she meowed back. When we took her home, I really, truly intended to take her to the shelter on Monday. Long before Monday arrived, though, she won my heart.

Hilfy is interested in everything that goes on in the house; she always seems to be asking, "Watchya doin'?" She has decided that especially interesting things happen in the basement, and follows us eagerly whenever we head down there. You see, the b/f has his workshop down there, and Hilfy is the self-designated supervisor of all projects. That's also where I do my eBay photography and shipping. This picture was taken when she jumped up on my photo backdrop between shots of eBay widgets.

Hilfy and Yitzhak are good friends; they are both playful and often chase each other through the house, upstairs and down. Hilfy's relationship with Daisy is quite different. When Hilfy first joined us, she was a kitten, and Daisy appointed herself mama (of course). That worked out fine until Hilfy grew up. Not only does she no longer want to be mothered anymore, she thinks she should be in charge of the household. Daisy disagrees. They have been arguing about this for years.