Obsessed? Maybe...

A new friend told me today that he had been reading this blog and thought I might have an unhealthy obsession with my cats. I would say I might be obsessed, but I don't think it is unhealthy. :)

For instance; all the cats are up-to-date on vaccines and check-ups (as of this morning), all are feline leukemia/fiv negative, everyone is spayed/neutered, they are all microchipped, and their litterboxes don't go 24 hours between cleanings. Yes, there are 8 permanent kitty residents, and 8 foster kitties, but I know a woman with 89 cats. And my bill at the hospital is less than $200. So my obsession hasn't negatively affected myself, the darling hubby (who is as bad as I am, or worse), the kitties, or the baby. Plus I get anywhere from one to many kitties to cuddle with at night and can hear purring almost on demand. And there is nothing funnier than a cat having a little fuzzy freak out, or more relaxing than watching a cat sleep.

My earliest memories all have cats in them. Baku accidently killing the butterfly he was playing with, and being very confused when it wouldn't get up. Frisbee peeing on my grandmother's overnight bag the day my sister was born. Barnum catching the chipmunk on my 8th birthday. Cross-eyed Clarence smacking the big dog that ran up onto our porch. (Yes the cats went outside when I was growing up, not now.)

Cats have always been a positive presence in my life. The darkest times in a turbulent youth were those times without at least one cat. I wonder if that is part of the reason my hyper-allergic step-mother opted to keep the little dark tortie she rescued from a crazed war veteran instead of sending her to a shelter. So I would have a cat in my life with them. Pixel did end up living with my Gram in New Hampshire, but she was with us in New Jersey for quite a while first. My cat in college, Antigone, may be responsible for keeping me alive. She needed me, even if I didn't want to go on, she still needed food and water and a clean pan. Thank you Tiggy.

I believe I come by my obsession honestly. To some I may appear a crazy cat lady, and I'm okay with that. I share my life with a crazy cat man and hope that I give birth to a crazy cat child.

So Robert, do you still think I'm a tad unhealthy? ;) It's perfectly okay if you do. I'm willing to listen to dog stories any time you want to share. :)