My Household

Some people think I live alone, but I spent a lot of time dealing with my four housemates. Three of them were inherited from family members who used to live here. By now, these cats have lived with just me for longer than they ever lived with the person who adopted them. I don't mind. If I did, I wouldn't have adopted a new kitten last fall.

There are people who think that all cats are alike. These people don't have cats. Like family members, they all have their distinct personalities and relationship dynamics. So I made a profile of each of my cats.

Name: Marshmallow
Age: 13
Favorite food: Fish and milk. The tom cats don't like milk, and the kitten is lactose-intolerant. Marshmallow gets her nightly saucer of milk up on a table now so Sundae can't get to it.
Favorite toy: The laser light. All the cats like it, but they will defer to Marshmallow when she's around, because she loves it so much.
Hobbies: Collecting bread ties, hair ties, and chopsticks.
Daytime resting place: In a cardboard box, preferably near a heat vent.
Overnight resting place: On the window table behind my bed.
Health: Deaf, lactose tolerant. She's always had a really loose primordial pouch, which makes her look overweight until you touch her. In some places she is more fur than flesh.
Good habits: She knows when I stomp the floor, I'm trying to get her attention. She comes when I wiggle my fingers. Never gets close to the road.
Bad habits: Voluminous shedding, loud meowing. She can't help either one.
Notes: Treats other cats as if they were her kittens, especially Apollo. She is not so well socialized to people. I have to consciously remember to pet her every day, because even though she loves it, she will never think to ask for it like the other cats. She stays inside most of the time, and when she's out, she stays in the yard. She often drinks by dipping her paw in the water, both from the fountain and from the water bowl.  

Name: Apollo
Age: 12
Favorite food: Fish, cheese, beef, liver, turkey, squirrel. He is never picky about cat food.
Favorite toy: The laser light is the only toy he will play with, and only when Marshmallow is not around.
Hobbies: Socializing with neighbors, both humans and cats. Watching the toilet flush.
Daytime resting place: Front porch rocking chair.
Overnight resting place: Foot of my bed.
Health: Arthritis. He also manages to burn himself on a hot tailpipe every couple of years (that's what's wrong with his left rear leg in this picture). Still very strong.
Good habits: Greets every passerby with the opportunity to pet him. Impresses neighbors.
Bad habits: Scratching my window screen to be let in, bullying other cats over food.
Notes: As a big orange cat, he is blessed with one brain cell. That doesn't bother him, as he thinks he is king of the house and neighborhood. He must eat Fancy Feast separately because he will take the others' food. Usually that's on the deck, or the front porch if it's raining. If it's really cold outside, he can eat in the bathroom with the door shut. He can only return when all the others have finished eating, then scarf up any leftovers. Apollo is terrified of thunder. During storms, he is at my feet, or hiding in the cabinet under my desk.

Name: Tommy
Age: 8
Favorite food: Dry kibble, mice. He eats dinner at another house; I don't know what they feed him.
Favorite toy: Sundae, cat tree.
Hobbies: Climbing trees, bird watching.
Daytime resting place: Bathroom rug near the heat vent in winter. Under a tree in the summer. Often sits on the cat tree, which is a prime bird watching spot.

Overnight resting place: Where my arms can reach him, often laying on my hand.
Health: Short and overweight, but healthy.
Good habits: He will sit in my lap unlike the older cats. Reliably snuggles in bed.
Bad habits: He often turns his nose up at Fancy Feast. When you reach down to pet him, he will flinch and duck his head slightly, which is curious because he loves being petted.
Notes: Does not meow. Often lays on his back with his legs spread. The family calls this "airing out his harbles." Which is funny, because he doesn't have any. 

Name: Sundae
Age: 5 months
Favorite food: Whatever I'm eating, fish.
Favorite toy: Toilet paper, my toes, computer cursor, shoelaces. Anything can be a toy, especially if it's lying on my desk.
Hobbies: Following me around, wrestling with Tommy, collecting toilet paper scraps.
Daytime resting place: Kitten bed on my desk.
Overnight resting place: Behind my knees, where she can keep an eye on my toes, in case they act up.
Health: Good. She's growing fast.
Good habits: Very affectionate. Will sit in my lap.
Bad habits: Races to the kibble dish when Apollo comes inside, just to make him wait. Hovers around when I'm on the toilet so she can intercept the toilet paper. Walks across my keyboard and changes the settings. Snores. Farts. Leaves me with constant small injuries from playing. It's a good thing she is so cute.  
Notes: Sundae very much wants to be close to the other cats, and they have warmed up to her. She's in the phase of playing 24 hours a day. She's just starting to explore the outside, but is only allowed out for short periods in daylight when Tommy or I am with her. Tommy is a good babysitter.

There are some things all the cats have in common. They are very good at communication, mostly with body language. They know my habits as well as I know theirs. They keep up with my location within the house, even when they are outside. When I am outside, they follow me around. They know when it's time for Fancy Feast, although Apollo will start reminding me an hour early.

It may be true that having a house full of cats is a poor substitute for a house full of people, but there are some ways that this is an even better arrangement. They amuse me and keep me company, and they satisfy my instinct to care for a family. But they never say hurtful things, borrow my clothes, or ask me for money.