On Saturday afternoon, Smartmom was deep in sleep and dreaming sweetly when Teen Spirit called on Hepcat’s cell phone. Something compelled her to answer it.

That was her mistake.

"Mom, come meet me in front of John Jay. There’s an adorable kitten I want," he told her.

Smartmom sighed. She knew that Teen Spirit has been pining for a cat for many years. And..

"Please, mom," he pleaded. "Just come."

As if under a spell (she wasn’t quite awake) Smartmom floated out of the apartment building passing neighbors drinking white wine in their yard. She was on a mission to talk Teen Spirit out of this. But not before OSFO got in on the act.

"Hey mom, where are you going?" OSFO screamed out.

Smartmom explained the situation.  OSFO, a confirmed dog lover, insisted on coming along. No cats in this house, she told Smartmom. "I want a dog," she said firmly.

When they arrived under the scaffolding at John Jay High School, Teen Spirit was staring longingly into the eyes of the five-week-old kitten. The woman in charge, from the Brooklyn Animal Foster Network handed me the contract.

"Mom, do you need a pen?"  Teen Spirit said.

Before she could say ‘this is terrible idea," OSFO wanted the kitten, too and Smartmom was signing on the dotted line. (Oh yes she did call Hepcat, who told her it was a terrible idea. She knew he didn’t mean it. Or did he?)

Teen Spirit walked home with the kitty attached to his shirt while Smartmom shopped for kitty food at Met Food. No cat lady she, Smartmom never ever looked at a can of cat food before. She was amazed by the variety. There was even some kind of souffle. She couldn’t get over the faux gourmet descriptions. It was an area of the store she’d never noticed before (and she had the sinking feeling she might be spending more and more time there from now on).

As Smartmom approached her building on Third Street, Mrs. Kravitz squealed. "I like the new addition to your family."