by Linda Joyce

Created on: February 18, 2009   Last Updated: November 15, 2009

I have had both male and female cats my whole life, being an avid cat person. In my experience, male cats have always seemed somewhat friendlier than the females.

The cat I had the longest, named George, lived to almost 20, and he was not only friendly but dignified. When George was around, it was like having another person with me. He had a loving nature and was always friendly toward not only other people but all other animals, as well.

Another male cat that I had for a long time, until he died of chronic renal failure about four years ago was Spohnky. He was truly the friendliest male cat I ever knew, which was amazing considering the uneven start we had. You see, Spohnky was an outside cat from somewhere in our hoursing development. There were rumors that he was owned by a family with a little boy who was cruel to him, so they let him go. (I always thought they should have let the boy go instead.) Did I mention the fact that Spohnky had a tail that was broken in two places and ears that were both tattered? We never did find out how any of that happened, but I certainly have my suspicions.

To make a long story short, my sister and I first met Spohnky on our evening walks. He would jump out at us from behind a house or a wall and follow us down the street. He was a black cat, probably less than two at the time, and very playful and mischievous. We couldn't resist him. Night after night, he would appear as we walked down the street on our usual route. My sister started carrying him on our walks, which became a chore as he became heavier from us feeding him.

Finally, it was getting toward autumn and the weather was growing cooler. Since this poor cat was out on the street, we decided we should adopt him. Never mind that we had eight other cats at the time. He liked the idea because it meant a constant supply of food and a warm bed and eagerly came into our home. Unfortunately, he was more feral at the time than loving housecat. When I tried to hold him, he would leave deep scratches down my arms and jump away from me. He would also bite often and hard.

It took me months to socialize him, but when it happened it was quite a reversal. He became the most loving cat I ever had! He would sleep with me under the blankets each night. He loved being petted and kissed and would either sit on my lap while I was working or reading or rub against me to show me he was there and needed attention. I confess I made him into a mama's boy, and I am not sorry. I have wonderful

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