I don’t know if you’ve noticed this before, but cats are cute. Really cute.

We met a few new ones (or new to us) as we wandered around Portland this weekend.

First, there’s this fine fellow who goes by the undignified, but accurate name, Bucket.

He’s a giant love loaf of a cat who got his name from the unfortunate cat collar he was wearing when Darcy and Sean scooped him up from the Humane Society (and from the fact that he’s shaped like, well, a bucket). He’d had eye surgery recently — and a nasty cold, too — but despite his dire straits, they could see that he’d make a fine addition to the household and so he has.

Next up is Buddy, a young ladwho recently took up residence with the Ursin clan. He is, as kittens are, a non-stop hairball of furious activity. Burma, into whose house Buddy moved, is a little perturbed by the frisky interloper, but even she cannot resist the cute.

all that bouncing makes Buddy tired!