My - OUR Kitty, Cookie!

Yeah, I know, "Idontcollectcats".  (and to your left you see a perfect example of why I don't!)  Well, I don't!  I have a few and have had a few.  That is, I have a few in decorative form and have had a few in live form.  My current pet kitty is Cookie, or "the cat formerly known as Socks".  When she was originally adopted by my daughter's best friend in 9/97 she was named Socks, for her 4 white paws.  She was adopted along with her sister whom Havalah named Gucci.  They were so tiny they both fit in one hand.

Havalah was leading a seedy life, in and out of apartments and the cats tagged along for a while.  This time, though, I believe she had no place to move to, she was being evicted and the cats would be left to fend for themselves.  Poor "Socks" was pregnant and had already lost a litter, due probably to neglect, I think she was living mostly out with a gang of kitties in the apartment complex.

"OK, I'll take the poor pregnant kitty".  So now I had 3 cats.  And a half, a neighbor cat who thought he owned our place as well as the place across the street.  Rachyl was living with me and had her 2 cats.  Then a week after I took in this poor kitty she was pregnant no more - there were 6 new kitties in the house!  And all had mommy's 4 white paws!

That makes 11 1/2 cats!

My brother had a tabby similar to Socks named Casey (or KC - "Killer Cat") and I found myself lapsing into that name, so the "K" sound got pulled into her new name, "Cookie".  Cookie was not a very friendly cat, she'd just as soon rip yer face off if you got too close.  She was a very good mother though and in spite of being an average looking tabby her 6 babies were all beautiful and easily placed when they were weaned.

As a young cat she loved to chase (and catch one daily!) birds. NO!  Bad kitty!  She also loved to chase (and as far as I know she never caught any) leaves - or bugs - or something, we couldn't always figure it out.  She just looked drunk, jumping about after nothing!  She got the nickname "Drunk Kitty" after her antics.  And when she sees a camera she always manages to pose.  Good thing, she's very photogenic.  She still occasionally brings in a mouse to play with until it finds a way down a hole in the kitchen floor into the crawl space below the house.

She was always just one of the cats, not one of the special ones since she wasn't very loving.  But when the other cats were gone and she became the alpha cat she began to enjoy the attention more.  Dane was her person more than anyone else.  She began to sleep with me and my Lucy cat when Lucy was sick and I didn't know it yet, apparently Cookie knew it.  She slept with us and when Lucy was gone she continued to sleep with me.

Enter now Rick.  Fortunate for me, Rick is also a cat lover.  And Cookie knows it.  So now, even though I'm the one who feeds her she only has eyes for Rick. 

She has done an about face over the past few years, mostly since Lucy died.  She has become very affectionate and we can even kiss her cute little kitty-haid.  She's about 12 now, moving slower, needing her nails clipped and her teeth done.

But she's learned to love.