My furballs do enough dictating around our house so I am going to ask them to button their chops and let me do the talking for a change.
We live under the rule (and thumb) of three bossy but loving felines. Kato, a 14 yr. old silver mackerel tabby; Spanky, an 8 yr. old orange/white manx, and Frisbee a 2 yr. old white footed/dark striped tabby.
Kato gave me the penetrating eye lock from the confines of a glassed case in a pet store years ago when she was 8 wks. old. She was named in honour of the houseboy in the Pink Panther movies due to her propensity to jump out of nowhere, onto your back, if you bent over to tie your shoes. Mistakenly feeling I was a species of higher intelligence, I used slip-ons or left the laces tied at all times. I still inherited four paws landing on my shoulder. She proved to be a real tart and managed to get "poked" three times within one year (probably more often) resulting in 16 offspring. They were all adorable and I had to actually disappoint people on a waiting list when we finally kept her tail down long enough to have her fixed.
Spanky was brought to the house one day as a 4 wk. old kitten for a look see "isn't he cute" visit by a friend who had picked him up from the house in which he had been born. He never left. (BTW, is this pimping?) His name came from being physically challenged at his hind end. Anyway, he has been a going concern, opening cupboards, lining the stairs with toilet paper, disdaining to drink water out of a bowl, being the self appointed morning alarm clock, and leaving generous amounts of hair around the house. Right now he is a medical challenge. Unfortunately he is diabetic (insulin twice a day) and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure (requiring 5 different pills a day). I now call him my warrior as he has weathered a number of crisis in the last few months. We are trying to be realistic about his eventual fate and strive to make every day comfortable for him and a joy for us.
Frisbee showed up as a (guestimated) 7 month old kitten at our back door a year ago February. I was initially adamant that he was not coming in, hoping that he would eventually find his way home. I finally got it through my thick skull - what home? After three days/nights of him gazing longingly through the patio door and witnessing my other half bundled up in winter clothing keeping him company outside in the wee hours of the night, in -17 degrees celcius weather, I relented (successfully made to feel like an uncaring chooch) and allowed him entrance. 24 hrs. later he was fully accepted into the family. Kato and Spanky gave their seal of approval. I've never really been forgiven for my initial rebuff and am tolerated only when Andy is not around to supply the attention and care that every cat feels is their due. His name was picked due to his propensity to jump up at moving objects (especially strings or ribbons) and twirling midair in the process. Frisbee is musically inclined and practices his skill on our venitian blinds. He also supplies us with a feathered entre at least once a week since he insists on earning his keep.
My 3 kids are beautiful and are the most welcomed sight when I walk in the door after completing a flight sequence and I am always greeted and surrounded by all of them, tails quivering (those that have one), eyes intensly focused on me and waiting anxiously to escort me further into the house. Okay to be honest that is the only time they get treats so that tasty reward might be what motivates them but I like to think that they missed me. I know they do, miss me that is,right guys...guys? I'm talking to you!!!
Got to go, I've just been called to serve dinner.
[This message has been edited by A Flygirl (edited 07-02-2000).]