Confessions of a Wannabe Princess

It's a cat's world. We just live in it.
I really do have a great life, but sometimes I look at my three cats and think they have it made. Imagine what life would be like if all you had to worry about was eating, sleeping, and pooping. I shouldn't talk that way. My three cats have brought me more happiness than I could have ever imagined.

Growing up we always had dogs. In fact, we had our beloved Labrador retriever Ginger for over 16 years. When she died in 1999, it was like losing a family member. After that my mom announced that there would be no more dogs. After a while we missed having a pet, so my dad and I decided we'd get a cat. Mom didn't say we couldn't have one! Puddy joined our family in 2001 when he was six weeks old. We weren't used to having a pet who climbed on the furniture and liked to lie on top of us, but we all adjusted great. Then in May 2002, we took Kirby in. She is Puddy's sister. Their mother disappeared when Kirby was only three weeks old. We couldn't just leave her all alone without her mother, so we took her in too. Since she was so tiny, she had to be fed whenever she was hungry because she didn't have a mom to nurse from. I never thought I'd do two A.M. feedings with a kitten, but I did. Kirby grew quickly, and she and Puddy formed a great relationship. We thought our cat family was complete until last year. A cute little furball showed up. He was obviously someone's pet because this little guy was too sweet and friendly. A couple of weeks passed without anyone coming to claim him, so that's when Ollie became our third cat. Boy did he have us fooled! Once he came inside he was holy terror! He is bad, always into everything. Surprisingly, he is our most affectionate cat. Ollie loves strangers. He is especially good with children.

There are many times when I feel like our house belongs to the cats and they are just nice enough to let us live here. Cats are nothing like dogs. I once read a quote that is quite true: "Dogs come when they are called. Cats take a message." My furbabies do what they want when they want. They want to be loved when they're ready to be loved. They'll come to bed with me at night when they're ready to, not when I am. They chase each other around the house and cause a ruckus whether it's 3 P.M. or 3 A.M. Forget having a quiet meal. I've learned to eat with at least one of the cats vying for my attention.

Would I change any of this? Absolutely not! These cats have brought me more joy than I could have ever thought possible. Puddy is very aloof, but he's the first one to console me if I'm sad. Kirby waits for me at the door when she hears my car pull up, and she's in my room waiting for me before I can even make it back there. Ollie likes to be loved and to lie next to us in bed. They are just amazing animals, and I know I'm blessed to have them in my life.