I’m not a big fan of cute animal pictures on the internet, but hey – when cute animal pictures with a Jane Austen connection show up on the internet, it’s clear what the only possible response can be: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
And so I direct your attention to these pictures of a litter of six kittens – does it get any cuter? – born last month at an animal shelter in Bath, England, and named after three couples from Emma: Harriet and Robert, Jane and Frank, and Emma and George. (What – no Augusta and Philip?)
Apparently, the shelter’s naming choices were inspired by an upcoming local theater production of Emma. Although a spokesman for the Bath Cats and Dogs Home pointed out to the local paper that the story “revolves around Emma’s attempts at matchmaking,” he missed an opportunity to draw a witty parallel to the shelter’s effort to match the kitties with suitable homes.
I have now filled that lacuna, as I hope you’ve all noticed. Consider this my small contribution to the online cute-animal-picture discourse. Just trying to do my part.