Pepper is the youngest member of this cat-hold at almost three; but still mostly kitten. 

One October (2000) afternoon as we were driving along,   I saw a sign on a post at the edge of the road. " Black Kitten, 6 weeks old, Free"  Black cat...Halloween...the poor thing wouldn't stand a chance.  I worried all the afternoon and when we were on the way home we  passed that sign again. We stopped.

Such a tiny handful he was.  He clung to Chuck as if he had suddenly seen heaven and wasn't taking any chances of losing it.  Naturally, we took him home; the people that had put up the sign had no idea that anyone would think it dangerous and somehow I doubt they'd have cared if they had thought of it.  They asked no questions of us, just let us have him.

Pepper was a god-send - literally the answer to a prayer.  Till now Scoop had been kept separate from Squeaky and Sam; he was no longer wild, but he wasn't comfortable with other cats, either...nor they with him.  Scoop had spent many months alternating between the huge bunny cage we had  set up in the living room and the bathroom at night, that I'd taken to letting him loose during the day when  we were home...it wasn't working well, though.  Nobody was happy...Squeaky and Sam were a little afraid and Scoop wasn't happy about his half-freedom. Then came Pepper.  Scoop took one look at that little black imp and adopted him immediately.  Scoop thought Pepper was a long lost son - it was love at first sight for both of them. Sam and Squeaky were so interested in checking out the new arrival they forgot to be afraid of Scoop.  They're all living together, now, in (mostly) harmony.  Amazing! They were all so upset about the new kitten they forgot to be afraid. He was the answer to a prayer.

Pepper is still a kitten, even though he's gotten his full growth now; he likes to climb walls, chase string, gallop all over the house and sleep with Scoop washing his ears.

Three years later (2003) and not much has changed - Pepper's digestion turns out to be a bit delicate and I have to take care in what I feed him, but he's still mostly kitten.

My sweet little Pepper succumbed to cancer in 2010...I held him as he left me for the Bridge.  I miss you little one...I love you still.