Our boy cat Billy never had a proper playmate when he was a kitten. Upon his arrival at our house, we thought he was a girl kitty, but our feline senior citizen, Ralph, knew better. He saw the little guy as his rival, and he never gave him a chance. There wasn't a single minute during which anything that you could call "play" took place between them. Ralph was a grouchy old guy at that stage in his life, and Bill ignored him as best he could.

It's a much different scene now with Billy and his newly arrived adopted sister, Lola. The newcomer wants nothing but playtime, and her big brother is going along with the program. Indeed, he is coming alive with teenager moves that we've never seen from him. The two of them engage in some fairly elaborate games, and Bill's been seen leaping high in the air as he plays with the some of the many kitten toys that have shown up around the house for Missy.

This is what we wanted for Ralph -- a baby sister to pal around with. At least Boy Bill is getting that experience. It's a real blessing.