The Second Half

I have three cats!

“So what?”, I hear a chorus of voices shouting back at me. I know, that in itself is not impressive or anything. But I’ve just realized that I have three cats and I’ve had this blog running for four months and it hasn’t even occurred to me until now to introduce my cats to the world! OK, to the three and a half people (not counting friends) who are likely to read this post. I really have no idea what prompted it but here we go. So, prepare to meet my puddies: my boy Dodo and my girls, Mookie and Poofie.

The start of cat reign

It all began in 2011, when my son returned from a visit to his grandpa (that would be my father). He came home late in the evening, dumped his travel bag on the floor and unzipped it. Out came a tiny, fluffy, gray ball that was promptly furnished with the name Dodo.

Until then, I had lived under the delusion that I was a dog person. Sure, I love dogs, they are cuddly and playful and devoted to a fault. I spent my childhood dreaming that my mother would one day allow me to get a dog. I was too young to realize that such ebullient creatures would be too much for the adult version of me. Training, socializing, early morning walks and then strolls in the evening? Forget about it!

Now, keep in mind that my felines totally lack discipline. This, of course, speaks volumes about me as a pet owner. Not that I care. They sleep in my bed and roll around on the desk while I work, frequently taking shortcuts through the keyboard and wreaking havoc on my texts. Now and then, they jump on the kitchen table, which I suspect they do simply to vex me. This is one of the few things I don’t allow but then again, I’m not much of an authority figure with this bunch.

 

 

Back to Dodo. As cats go, he’s a very cuddlesome one. He is the first to plonk down next to me when bed time comes and is always looking for an opportunity to snuggle. A very sweet creature, all in all.

Dearly as I love him, I can’t close my eyes to the fact that Dodo may just be the biggest coward in the feline kingdom! This cat will get spooked by anything: the doorbell, the washing machine, loud laughter, gushing water, whatever! And he’s a prize mumbler – the dude rarely shuts up! He just walks about the place, an incessant stream of catspeak coming out of his mouth. Yes, it does get annoying, but sometimes it’s just plain hilarious.

A lady takes over

Dodo ruled supreme in our place for a year. One autumn day in 2012, I was on my way home after doing the grocery shopping. Passing by a neighboring block of flats, I saw a black kitten and stopped to pet it. I played with it for a minute or so and resumed my walk home. I had about 50 meters left to my building and, for some reason, I turned around. There the tiny kitty was, trotting behind me.

What could I do? I took it as a sign that this adorable little thing was meant for me. Nooo, I didn’t steal her! She was a stray baby cat, lots of them in the neighborhood. This ball of cuteness was christened Mookie and became ruler of the household, winning over Dodo from the get-go.

 

 

Now, Mookie is a proper cat – aloof, regal, willful, and somewhat hostile to others of her kind. Oh, she does get silly and isn’t inclined to go for long without petting sessions. In fact, she is the one who owns my lap – every couple of hours or so, she comes sprinting into the room and jumps on my lap to get her fix of hugs and adoration.

You know how cats are very protective of their tummies, right? My little black panther seems to have missed that lesson. She is always sprawled on her back, her limbs sticking out as far as they would go. This cat loves having her belly rubbed, something must be seriously wrong with her.

Girls get house majority

Thus we continued with our lives until the summer of 2015. On my daily trips to the store, I had noticed that two kittens were living in the basement area of a block of flats I pass by. How did I notice? Well, there are barred windows at ground level and the pair used to sit there, observing the world as it went about its business. People in the neighborhood fed and watered them. I usually bought a pouch of cat food or some dry kibble and left it for them on my way home. One of the kittens was particularly friendly and always climbed up to the window when I called. Yes, this black-and-white darling became my third cat and received the name Poofie.

I took her in because her sibling just disappeared one day. I couldn’t stand the thought of this sweet, friendly kitten living in the dank basement all alone. So one day I just grabbed her and took her home and I’ve never regretted it for one second!

 

 

Poofie has the sweetest disposition of the three. It’s a bit strange because she sports this sullen, somewhat hostile expression, possibly due to her being slightly cross-eyed. She is a passionate kneader and the only one who actually answers when you call out her name. I mean, really answers and quite shrilly, too! When she hears me calling her, she lets loose a piercing shriek and comes running.

Prayer

It’s not always a picnic living with three cats. There are days when one of them gets too cranky, which results in hissing matches, chases, and household items broken. Dodo nearly died four years ago from a urinary infection, while Poofie fell from the seventh floor last summer. And it now seems that Mookie may be asthmatic.

Despite the petty and not-so-petty grievances, I dread the day when I will start losing them. All I can hope for is that it will be to old age, not some horrible accident or disease. Please, let it be so and make it far, far in the future!