Koko the gorilla gets two new kittens, we all rejoice

The world was enchanted when Koko the gorilla got her first pet in 1984, a gray kitten that she named All Ball. Now, 44-year-old Koko has doubled her joy by adopting two new kittens. There's video. It's glorious.

Photo: Ron Cohn Koko is shown in 2000 holding a kitten, one of many pets the...

Koko, who is famous for communicating through sign language, first asked for a pet cat for Christmas 1983 and has had several kitten companions through the years. The latest couple are grey tabbies named Ms. Grey and Ms. Black. Ms. Grey was selected by Koko; Ms. Black used her big kitten eyes to coerce Koko into taking her too.

If you only have time for ten seconds of video today, go to 1:40 when Koko signs "put on head" for her human companion to put a kitten on Koko's head. Gorillas: Their life dreams are just like ours.

Koko was born in the San Francisco Zoo and gained international acclaim in the 1970s when her trainer Penny Patterson reported that Koko had learned "Gorilla Sign Language."

Patterson claims Koko understands over 1,000 signs and 2,000 words of spoken English, although many scientific publications refute this, saying Koko is instead a mastery of mimicry not of comprehension. Either way, you don't need verbal or sign language to convey how wonderful kittens are.

The Gorilla Foundation has promised more updates on Koko, Ms. Grey and Ms. Black in their home in Santa Cruz in the coming months. Until we get another cat video, watching the one above and aww-ing will have to do.