I wanted to wait, at least a few more weeks, but we came home to one sad cat.  If we thought Sydney looked down before we left, she was in a full depression when we returned.  It’s a fine line between mania and depression in an animal who lounges in the sun, sleeping all day.  But when you’ve lived with an animal for 6 years, you can tell these things.

So big world, introducing Maximus Rube Wahlberg.  You can just call him “Max”.  He’s a rescued stray with what seems to be a affable temperament.  His age is in dispute.  He is somewhere between 1 year to I don’t know…maybe 7.  He’s a bit too big to be 12 months old, but some records indicate he is.  Other records put him at 2.  I’m no cat expert, so I’m OK with saying he’s simply….Max.  The age of Max.  It’s rude to press someone on their real age anyway.  I’d hate to make a bad first impression with my cat.

We had planned on finding an orange tabby, but when we ran across this guy, he was simply too lovable to leave behind.  Tell that to Sydney.  She’s not in love with us right now.  But in time, she’ll come around.  We dream of having 2 healthy, lovey cats.  Time will tell.

The name on his cage read “Milo”, but because he is a rescued stray, you can be certain no owner bestowed that upon him.  It’s a name for someone who is man-pretty, which is not a Southside kind of cat.  We want him to fit in at school.  I immediately saw Max in his eyes, to which Sara added, “And Ruby”.  Of course, Max and Ruby, the cartoon that will haunt this house until college.  Ruby is not a boy’s name, so I suggested “Rube”, which Sara loved immediately because it was weird.  So Maximus because it’s cool, Rube as an ode to Max & Ruby, and Wahlberg…not our last name.  Not even in the ballpark of our last name.

Keeping in the tradition of naming pets after the movie stars on our “allowed list”, if you get my drift, leaves only one clear candidate: the man not only on my list, but jokingly Greg’s as well: Marky Mark, as in Mark Wahlberg.  EASY choice.  Had it been a girl, we would have named her Fiona Johannson, because Greg likes no talent ass clowns.  His list is a preview of “careers about to tank in Hollywood”.  Allow me to provide evidence: Jennifer Garner, Katie Holmes, Keira Knightly, and now Scarlet Johannson.  Look for her to be starring in a love story opposite Ben Affleck any day now.

To answer the question that is burning in your mind about the cultural specificity of his name, yes, Max is of the Jewish faith.  We are OK mixing religions.  After all, Greg is Lutheran, and I am a Baptist.  Sydney is a Buddhist.  Not that she likes to talk about it directly, but she spends a lot of her day in meditation with her eyes closed; it doesn’t take a genius to connect those dots.  Cat with huge belly, in silent meditation….dar.

Wish us luck.  Pets are better in pairs…and we’re praying (in 4 religions) that remains true!