One evening, I saw my cat Monkey intently looking at her reflection in the window... or so I thought. Upon closer examination, I realized that what she was looking at was another black and white cat sitting just outside the window looking back in at Monkey.
Some days later, Sarah and I saw this cat again as we were heading into our apartment. The poor thing was limping on its back right leg. He cried for our attention, so we gave him some food, and I told Sarah that, if he was still around in the morning, I would try to get hold of him and take him to a veterinarian to be checked out.	(Click on any image for a bigger picture) Maccabee
Sarah and Mackie	Sure enough, the next morning, there he was, crying and happy to see us. I gathered him up and took him to see the vet. He was already very friendly and affectionate. The vet diagnosed that his leg had been fractured at some point, but he didn't seem to be in any pain. Once we had all his tests done, Sarah and I decided to take this little fellow off the streets and into the apartment.
Monkey had a little brother! Since we got him on the first night of Chanukah, we named him Maccabee, after the hero of the Chanukah legend... Mackie, for short. He quickly made himself at home, and regular meals put some meat on his scrawny frame and strengthened him. He doesn't even limp anymore! His sister, Monkey, is often not very fond of him because he likes to play and wrestle, but they can be found spending some quality time together as well.	Monkey and Mackie sharing a meal
Monkey and Mackie relaxing together	Monkey and Mackie hugging... or wrestling
Mackie likes sitting in the sink	Mackie has a delightful personality. He is still young (only about 10 months old now) and still kind of goofy and silly. We call him our "noodle" because he is so long and lanky and floppy. He loves to play and can entertain himself for a long time with his toys or even just his tail.
He is much more affectionate than Monkey. He loves to be petted and to curl up in our laps, his head tucked under an arm. He purrs so much and so loud... he often sounds like a motor revving. And he loves his Daddy! He has to follow me into whatever room I am in, always keeping me in his sight.	Me and the kids: Monkey (l) and Mackie (r)
Mackie-in-a-Box	It already feels like Mackie has always been a part of our family, he so easily fit into our lives and our routine. It was like he knew us the first time he saw us and knew that he belonged with us. I think he was right!

Click on any of the images to see a bigger picture: