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I am the proud 'mother' of two kittens, who are nearing four months old. My parents have a cat, she turned up in our garden as a stray when I was 8 years old, so I am used to cats and love them. But I have to admit that, 12 years on I have forgotten how crazy kittens can be...
The most peculiar thing I have noticed is that Jenova (a black and white tabby and definitely the 'older' one, although they were in the same litter, Cloud was the runt so is a lot smaller) is inexplicably attracted to socks. And not any type of sock. Used socks. Dirty socks. Horrible, smelly, sweaty, putrid, foul, dusty, slimy socks. Woe betides anyone who puts a dirty sock into our laundry basket for, within an hour, it will be out and lying on your pillow. She will rip them off washing lines, dig them out of baskets, I've even had her snatch them out my hand as I tried to put them in the washing machine. The cat is somehow completely in love with them, to the point that she will sit next to you and attempt to rip them off your feet.

And its not just that she steals them, it's that she leaves them everywhere. My pillow is just one example. She will leave them on the stairs, so you can fall over them, she will drop them into her water, put them in her food bowl, or simply carry them around in her mouth and only drop it when you offer her something to eat. I wouldn't mind if they were clean, but I have to admit cleaning my bath has become a gruesome task when I have to drag out dirty socks at the same time.
The insanity must run in the family because Cloud has a similar obsession with hair bobbles. I no longer am allowed to tie my hair back, because the look on her face makes me feel so guilty I cant bring myself to tell her that the damn things are MINE and not toys for her. Although she hasn't quite stooped to putting them in the bath she will drop them in her water. The two of them make a pretty pair, wandering across the living room, one trapped in elastic, the other trailing a dirty piece of cloth.
At the end of the day, even though I can't wear trainers any more, even though I have to wash my hair every day because I cant tie it back, even though doing the washing has become an assault course only a commando could complete, I don't mind. Bothersome and annoying as they are, as much as they destroy my clothes and ruin my day, they're so cute. I just have to allow them to do it, because I couldn't live with myself if I stopped them. Lazy as they are, sleeping around the house and not doing anything to contribute (as my partner often points out jokingly) it's worth all the money I have to spend. Just because they are cute.
And people laugh when I say they could take over the world if they set their minds to it. They're taken me over very easily.

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