Gracie and the Little Pink Pig

Once upon a time, Gracie was a kitten.  She was sweet as could be and very affectionate.  George and Gracie were found abandoned in the woods.  We have always assumed they were litter mates, and we've wondered if there were others that didn't survive their abandonment.

She's always been such a timid little thing, and we think that early kitten trauma is at least partly to blame.  Some good friends of ours were looking for homes for these two sweet kittens, and we agreed to take them in when we moved up to our new house back in 2002.  I guess we're just soft headed  hearted that way.

Not long after, my friend Sue gave me some crew socks that were so cute.  They had gripping soles and a pig's face on the tops of the feet.  On the backs of the ankles and over the Achilles tendon, there were these little ball fringe pigs.

They were the cutest socks, and I wore them constantly.  The little pink pigs didn't stay on for long, and I never bothered trying to sew them back on. 

That was fine with Gracie.  She adopted them and carried one or the other of them around in her mouth constantly.  She approached us for snuggles and pets and dropped it at our feet.  Then, when she moved on, she picked it up again and carried it with her.  She was inseparable from her little buddies, the little pink pigs.  She did that for about the first two years of her life.  It was the sweetest, most endearing thing I've ever seen a cat do.  They were the equivalent of her little security stuffed animals.

Gracie has grown up now, and she's a beautiful little lady.  She doesn't pay any attention to the pink pigs any more.  She has more important things to do with her busy life.

Like, making herself available for petting.  Just in case anyone is asking.