Our cats

Wooly Bear has quite the fur coat. He was the runt of the litter, and in relation to the other cats he is the bottom of the dominance hierarchy. However, he is very perceptive about his environment (to avoid being ambushed), and uses these skills also to find food (i.e., that I am eating :-) that he might want to share.	Squeaker (named for her usual lack of much of a voice) came from a household of 120 cats. When she arrived at our house, you could tell she was estatic. She is second from the top, and really into eating, play, and cuddling. These are the reason humans were invented, right?
Rambo Kitty is Wooly Bear's brother. They were born feral. She is the top of the dominance hierarchy. She comes by her name honestly. If she wants something, she goes for it. She is smart, likes to explore the backyard, and playing with hair ties. She also is the best at fighting, and will broach no claims to top cat. If ambushed, she will run. However, she has a long memory and the ambusher will later pay for his or her poor choice of targets.	Hoover is the newest addition to our family. We got him in September 2003. Our vet's assistant's mother was his person, but when she died, he came to live with us. He is into cuddling, and trying to stay out of the way of Squeaker.
A rare picture with Rambo, Woold bear, Buckwheat (with her back to the camera), and Squeaker. Buckwheat was not thrilled by the presence of the other cats. After all, she had lived as an only cat for about 15 years.	The great hunter pauses.
Rambo illustrating her dominance over Wooly Bear, who just wants to sleep.	After a hard day of hunting grasshoppers, some relaxing is in order.
Squeaker stalks a turtle.	Rambo, Wooly bear, and Buckwheat coming down the loft latter.
Rambo and Wooly Bear are sister and brother. They enjoy each other's company. They were feral, and born under a wood pile near Four Hills in Albuquerque. We are very happy that they joined our life.	Playtime is always fun.
Squeaker is quite the cuddle kitty.	One of very few shots we have with Squeaker as a kitten. Everybody likes to drink water from the sink. At times, we have had four cats lined up to drink. They have plenty of fresh water in bowls, but running water must taste better.

Dear Cats,

When I say to move, it means go someplace else, not switch positions with each other so there are still two cats in the way. Just because I went to get a glass of water doesn't mean you have next dibs on my seat.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me does not help, because I fall faster than you run. So don't complain when your paw or tail gets injured. A cast on me is a far more serious result of your need to go fast...

Your night vision is much better than mine. A black cat on the floor at night when there is no light on can expect to be stepped on. Or, you could use your superior vision and move out of the way.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king size bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of cats sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing but kitty sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. In addition, I have been using bathrooms for years, feline attendance is not mandatory.

Rules for non pet owners who visit and complain about our pets:

1. The cats live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want cat hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture or don't wear clothesq (but we tend to keep the house coon in the winter).
3. We like our cats a lot better than we like most people.
4. To you, she's a cat. To us, she's an adopted daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours, and doesn't always speak clearly.

Cats are better than kids: They

• eat less (although ours have taken to asking for freshly-grilled salmon and freshly-roasted chicken),
• don't ask for money all the time,
• are easier to train,
• sometimes come when called, or at least acknowledge that you have called by lifting an ear or something to let you know they have heard you,
• never drive your car,
• don't hang out with drug-using friends (unless catnip counts as a drug :-),
• don't smoke or drink,
• don't worry about buying the latest fashions,
• don't wear your clothes,
• and don't need a gazillion dollars for college.