The Kentucky Cat House

For those of you who have been following my blog, you already know that our six cats are allowing husband and I to continue living in our house and have extracted life-long promises (just like in a marriage ceremony) for us to take care of them, for better or worse, 'til death us do part. All you pet lovers KNOW what I'm talking about. You will note I did not say "pet owners." That misnomer would not fit our situation in the least and would imply that we were somehow directing the lives of these felines.

I'm here to tell you that cats are untrainable. They train us, the humble human servants, to take care of their needs, feed them, pet and love them upon demand, and clean up their numerous messes. In addition, we must share our La-Z-Boys and beds with them whether we like it or not. But, we would not be without these six spoiled brats. They have replaced our kids who are grown up and gone.

Husband and I have been known to talk to them -- as if they would really answer back. I was on the computer last evening and heard a conversation from the living room. I thought husband was talking to the TV but he was actually talking to several of the cats. The funny thing is that when you talk to them, they seem to understand. They may be untrainable, but they are pretty smart when they want to be.

Tiger Lily likes stalking robins in the back yard on a fine Spring day. She also likes to bring her "trophies" in the house for us, including moles, mice, and birds. Some are alive and some are not. Tiger Lily, our youngest cat, came from one of Alipurr's litters.

Peaches is lying on the deck teasing Bootsie who's just trying to get a drink of water. Peaches was found coming out of a cornfield and a friend was kind enough to give her to me.

Sweetie is always waiting for some loving. Sweetie is getting pretty old now and looks kind of puny, but she's still my sweetie kitty. She showed up many years ago and was found eating in the garage alongside our other kittens. She promptly came in the house and has not left. We don't know where she came from.

Polly-I is getting ready to take an afternoon snooze in bed. We found Polly-I at a local pizza restaurant when she was about a month old. She was sitting on our van tire trying to get out of the rain and was soaking wet and starving. She got her name from the restaurant, Pagliai's, and chowed down on left-over pizza in the car coming home.

Bootsie is sitting by the slider waiting for Mom to open the door so she can go outside on the deck. Bootsie showed up one afternoon last fall and decided she liked living at our house. She's never left.

And last, but not least, the ruler of the house and our oldest cat, Alley Cat, who was found in an alley behind my mother's house in Indiana in 1993 -- she was about two months old and she still acts like a young cat. Even though she loves me, she's mean as a snake and independent as anything, and will bite the hand that feeds her. I guess she's getting cranky in her old age. Both Bootsie and Alley Cat are known as tuxedo cats characterized by their white socks and gloves, white whiskers, and white bibs on their throats.

There is an invisible sign in front of my house that says "All Cats Welcome." I guess these cats are smarter than I thought because some of them can read.