The cat's MEOW!

It has been said we learn our love of animals from our parents.  I suppose in my case it is true; I grew up with cats and a dog, a hamster, a bird, and even a couple of chickens at one point.  It seemed inevitable that I would have pets when I had my own children.  My husband grew up with cats, so cats and dogs seemed the way to go.  

Cat 1, Christopher, is the oldest pet in the house.  Age has nothing to do with his personality however.  He is slow and sweet, and seems to be missing the cat survival instict that says "RUN!"  This is good for Kid 5, not so good for Cat 1.  Cat 2, Sandy, is about a year and a half old, and still full of kitten mischief.  She's also sassy and smart, and runs like hell when necessary.  This however, does not prevent Kid 5 from torturing her. 

Kid 5 has said out of the blue to anyone who will listen, "I love cats.  I love dogs too, but I really love cats."  Cat 1 loved Kid 5 when she was a baby, as evident by this photo.

Cat 1 and Kid 5 continued to love each other through the toddler years when she continued to be gentle and he continued to be patient.  I don't know where it all went wrong.  

 
These days, Cat 1 has taken to sleeping with me underneath the covers in the hopes that Kid 5 won't know he's there. Cat 2 simply runs and hides under the bed. Kid 5 will never stop trying because she loves them so much. When she manages to catch them, she drags them around as if they were stuffed animals.  She once tied Cat 2 to a door handle because she didn't want to run away.  Yeah, that could've been ugly.



Recently, Kid 5 has been encouraging the playful hostility between the cats and dogs, but only so she can be a cheerleader for the cats.  Of course, Dog 2 loves to chase the cats for fun, but since Cat 1 won't run, he chases Cat 2.  Kid 5 loves this, and encourages the activity as much as possible.  She will point to Cat 2 and call to Dog 2 at which point Cat 2 takes off running, usually up the stairs.

This occured the other day, and much to my amazment - and amusement, Cat 2 took off running up the stairs with Dog 2 in hot pursuit, and Kid 5 stood at the bottom of the stairs pumping both fists in the air yelling, "GO SANDY GO!  GO SANDY GO!"  I felt like I was at the horse races. 

Though the cats may feel tortured, and I feel the need to protect them at times, Kid 5 truly loves her cats.  It's just too bad she doesn't understand that silence speaks volumes, and that cats like gentle, just like when you're asleep.