The Thanksgiving Challenge Post 18: The Cats have their Say

I call them the Three Stooges...Larry Moe and Curly...Cher is Larry, Hound is Moe and Sonny, a natural born clown, is most definitely Curly. Hound (that's her on the left) is the boss. Cher is the follower (she's in the middle) and of course we all know Sonny. Sonny is the one who wakes us up each morning, and then demands to "make the bed" no later than 8 am. He loves to "help" by going under the sheets and pulling on the quilt then jumping up and down from the head board to the middle. It is the only household chore that makes me glad. These three guys play their hearts out all day and half the night. I once read that cats sleep 18 hours a day. Exactly which 18 hours I haven't been able to put my finger on. But play they will and play they demand.

What they are most grateful for is that they have a loving home and did not end up in the animal shelter. Such a misnomer that is, it's not much of a shelter and more often a death sentence. They are thankful for the electronic mouse with laser light nose. Sonny knows that when you pick it up chase time is about to start. He will look at you, with the mouse in your hand, and the butt starts moving back and forth, ready for action. The game goes on for several minutes, with the three of them fighting for control of the light on the floor. We play it so often that we purchased replacement batteries on e-bay so we didn't break the bank replacing them at WalMart.

They are thankful (especially Hound) for the dust mop. She has jumped on and ridden the dust mop since she was about six weeks old. Hound is the one we found abandoned even before her eyes were opened. I am the only mother she has ever known. Mac, who swears she is insane, says he knows now why she was left on her own. Insane or not, as long as you keep her nails trimmed, it doesn't hurt all that much when she runs up your back to sit on your shoulder. We really should have named her Polly.

Cher, who older son Wallace calls Psycho Kitty, has little oddities of her own. She only wants to be petted on her own terms. She may climb in your lap for affection, but you can never pick her up and place her in your lap. She makes you very grateful when she jumps down if you make the mistake of picking her up. You may reach down and stroke her but make no mistake, if you don't hear a purr, your attention is not appreciated. But back to their Thankful list. Tonight is Wednesday. They eat dry food six days a week. But on Wednesday night, promptly at five, they get tuna. Not cat food tuna, but real honest to gosh Chicken of the Sea tuna. It is mixed in with the dry and makes it taste ever so flavorful (or so they tell me) and they have reached the stage that they know when Wednesday comes. Or else why is it that they meet me in the pantry every Wednesday at 5 pm? For being able to spoil them all a little bit, I can't help but say, God I am truly thankful!