When a McDonald’s customer this morning (September 12) opened the canvas satchel at his feet and ever so gently extracted a tiny, dark brown kitten, everything just seemed to stop.

The business of giving and taking food orders was momentarily forgotten by all concerned. It was as if the entire restaurant in the 1400 block of West Broadway—customers and staff alike—drew in their collective breath and exclaimed, as one, “awww…!”

I cannot say whether rush hour traffic outside the restaurant also ground to a halt, or if the grey clouds overhead paused their slow march—I too was in the grips of kitty-related tunnel vision.

All I vaguely remember, besides those big little brown eyes, is that fact that the fuzzball is only 10-weeks-old and unnamed as yet, due to some confusion as to its gender.

“It will be Zoe, or something—if it’s female,” I think the man said.