Cat-astrophic!

Truly! As I mentioned before, we have three cats and one poor, lonely dog who wishes he had some back-up! LOL Our cats, Tanner, Maggie and Angel are real characters. Duke, our dog, tries to keep them all in line but he he needs a few Deputies at his side for these three!!

Tanner is almost six, and we've had him since he was born. He's pretty laid back most days. He'd rather sit and watch the action and give a disapproving glare from the top of the refrigerator. Don't let him fool you though, he's a sly one. He was the first one to get on the pool table and go under the plastic to roll on the felt top, leaving his fur all over... totally negating the reason for the cover in the first place. Like most cats he comes to you when HE wants something; food, water, cuddles, etc. He will stand on the bathroom counter and demand water, calling to us with a loud, piercing shriek. He will ONLY drink water that is freshly poured for him. If it's been in the sink for more than 10 minutes it is too old and he doesn't want it. He's fussy, and we love him.
 

Maggie is a year old, and we've had her since she was five weeks old. She is our psycho cat. As I said in my other blog (Furbabies), she has Pica. She eats non-food items such as toilet paper, head-phone cords, plastic bags, house plants... nothing is sacred. It makes it very difficult to keep up with her, and we have to be very careful about what is left laying around. She darts through the house like a wild banshee and still somehow is the fattest of all our cats! She started out a petite, tiny orphan and ballooned into a full-on fluff-a-lump! She took over Duke's bed, and for whatever reason, he let her do it. Duke outweighs her by 50lbs but he's such a sweet guy and he loves her so much. He lays on the floor next to her, just looking at her, in his bed.

Angel is also a year old, and she is adjusting very well to our family. She's been here almost a month now, has gained 2lbs and has stopped yelling at Duke every time she sees him. Apparently on the outside she didn't have friendships with dogs because the first time she saw him her fur stood straight up and she got three times her size! She made the most awful sound I'd ever heard! It was obviously an immediate demand for the dog's demise!! They are now at least on speaking terms. They talk casually as they pass in the hall, still not quite friends, but no longer mortal enemies. Duke would love nothing more than to be her best friend, but she's not ready to commit to anything. In time I'm sure she'll come around just like the other two.

Duke is five, and we've had him for four years now. He's so much a part of my heart!! He follows the cats around, and he lets them drink out of his water bowl whenever they want to. If they walk up while he is drinking, he will stop drinking, back up, and let them drink. He waits until they are done and then goes back to the water bowl. How many dogs do you know who would do that? They play together, chase each other around the house and even share treats. When the cats get a Pouncy, Duke sits for one, too. :o) He is the silliest, sweetest dog I have ever met. He is always by my side and checks on me when he knows I don't feel well. It's amazing how "in tune" they are with us.

We're considering potty training the cats. I've heard that a lot of people have done it. It would save a lot of money in cat litter since we change the boxes twice a week! It would be really weird to get up in the morning and see one of the cats on the toilet (did you see the movie "Meet the Fockers"?) but it would be pretty cool! We'll see what happens.

Yes, we have a full house! We love all of them so much, I can't imagine them not being here. It does make more work, vacuuming, sweeping, dusting fur, scooping and changing litter boxes, but you can't put a price on love! In fact, the kids just asked me last night if we could get a hamster... hmmm... hamsters are cute!