About the Cats

Well, yesterday I didn't have a lot of time to post, so I just put up a picture of each of the cats, so that you can get to know what they look like. Now I am going to tell you a bit about each of them.

First there is Floyd, who is the oldest, and the biggest. He is all black and has the longest, fluffiest tail I have ever seen. His head is like twice the size of the rest of the cats (well, the rest of the adult cats). I got him in 1996 when I moved into my first apartment. He is very snuggly and I am pretty sure he doesn't realize that he is a cat - he seems to think he is a person. He sometimes sits like a person leaning back on the couch, and he does that thing where he will yawn and stretch and then touch you, or, if he is hungry, he will use this technique to "accidently" touch your food, so you don't want it anymore and he can have it. His favorite food is french fries. He also doesn't relize that he is a lot bigger than the other two, and he thinks he can do things and fit places the others do, when in reality he can't. He like to play fetch, and loves to sit on shelves. He also likes to suck on fabrics, mainly fuzzy fabrics. He has his "sweater" (it used to be an actual sweater but that got lost so now it is a hat) that he drags around the house, kind of like Linus (from Peanuts) with his blanket.

Next there is Kirzon, who for a long time was the middle child. I got him in 1996 so that Floyd wouldn't be lonely while I was at work, and because I love cats. They get along really well, and pretty much always have. Kirzon thinks he likes people food but if you actually let him have it he smells it, licks it once or twice and then leaves it there covered in cat spit. He is the troublemaker, in that he is the one most likely to be found in places he shouldn't be, like on the kitchen counter or kitchen table. He knows he is in trouble as soon as he sees you coming, but he will risk it if he thinks there is something interesting up there. His brother (we think) is my Aunt's cat - we got them at the same place at the same time, and they were together for a while there, so we think they are related. Kirzon is the only one who likes to drink water out of the sink and does so every morning while my boyfriend gets ready. He is really easy going and also pretty snuggly, at least with me. He does like dairy products but if he has them he gets sick, so he isn't allowed to have them. He gets very pushy if you have something like a glass of milk, and you have to be careful or he will try to sneak and get some, even if it is just a little drop of leftovers. He also likes being brushed, and when I put my makeup on he likes it when you brush his face with the brushes - I keep one nearby without makeup to brush him with.

Then there is Lola, the only girl in the group. She was the youngest for a long time - we got her in 1999 (I think). I can't actually rememeber the year but I know she was born on March 15, because I knew the owner of her parents. She is the laziest of the cats - she sleeps the most of any of them. Her favorite spot so sleep in is the front sliding doors. She also likes to sleep on you in inconvenient places, so, for example, if you are sleeping she will sleep on your legs so you can't move without disturbing her. She will literally feel around with her paws to find where you are at under the blanket to find the most uncomfortable spot for you. She and Floyd get along really well, and when she was a baby kitten she and Floyd were very close and snuggly - Floyd was a good mom to her. She and Kirzon like each other and sit together occasionally but most of the time they don't. I think it is because Kirzon was the baby and then Lola was the baby so he was jealous (classic middle child). She very rarely has any interest in people food, which is good because she is kind of pudgy. She is also snuggly but most of the time she doesn't sit on your lap, she sits next to it.

Finally, there is our newest addition, Virgil. He is the new baby. We got him last Saturday (8/4) and he was about 4 weeks old at that time, so that means he is about 5 weeks old now. He was found by one of the people who use my vet, and they took him to the vets office and they were taking care of him will looking for a home for him. I went in with Floyd for his yearly check up and he was there. When I saw him I just loved him - he was so sweet and tiny! So I said I would take him, and a week later, after making sure he was ok, he got to come home. We were very excited. And by we I mean me and my boyfriend. The cats - not so much. But they weren't awful. There has been some hissing but no real threats. He is super tiny, just over a pound (he was 1 lb 2 oz on Tuesday, and I was going to weigh him again today when I get home from work). He is still eating kitten milk but he has it mixed with cat food and can eat it on his own. He is also able to use the litter box on his own, which is good for a kitten his age. He is very energetic at times, and wants to explore, but he is timid about going into new areas. He wants to go by the other cats but not too close - he is fascinated by their tails though and wants to play with them. Floyd warmed up to him first, and at one point Virgil climed up on the couch and was curled up with Floyd's tail. He has earmites and fleas (maybe one of two fleas - I found a couple the first few days but haven't seen any actual fleas the past couple days, just a little bit of flea dirt) so I didn't want him too close but I let him stay there long enough to get a few pictures which I will post - it is hard to see because the pics are hard to take with 2 dark cats on a light background. He is learning to jump up on things - first he made the couch and now he climbs up on top of his carrier to get to higher stuff. He loves to attack you when you walk by, like any kitten does, but he has no interest in the toys we got him. He prefers to run really fast and then attack whatever is there, even if there isn't anything there. He is starting to learn "no biting" because he does like to bite hands and fingers, but he is catching on. He especially likes to do this after his flea combing and ear cleaning - he hates those SO MUCH. But he puts up with it long enough to let me do it. He is very snuggly and likes to sleep by me - he used to sleep by Brad but now when I have Brad hold him (usually when I am feeding the other 3) he wants to escape and be by me. He also sucks on fabric, most likely because he was so young when he was separated from his mom. I don't have a problem with it because there is already cat spit on everything from Floyd, although when you put your hand down and don't expect it, well, it is kind of gross.

So that is all I have for now, since I should be working I think it is pretty good. I will post some more pictures this evening, and try to get that one of Virgil sleeping on Floyd's tail up.