by Jenn Balella

Created on: March 10, 2009

I have three cats: a stray named, well, Stray, her only surviving baby, Miracle (yes, very creative), and the only boy and craziest one, Cedric. They, like all cats, have their own unique personalities and quirks. The baby, Miracle (though she is now going on seven years old), loves to chase after balls, and when she was really still a baby, she loved to play fetch. I was in middle school at the time, and I remember throwing a ball she was playing with, and she actually brought it back to me! I thought it was the funniest and most peculiar thing I had ever seen, since I didn't think cats played fetch. It was very amusing, though, to watch this thin, big-eared tortoiseshell kitten drop a ball at someone's feet, as though asking them to throw it again.

Now, she doesn't really play fetch anymore, though she still enjoys chasing after balls and will sometimes carry it to short distances (plus, she isn't so 'thin' anymore, either). She will also chase her own tail at times, too, as well as I'm sure my loony male cat has done, too, which is also commonly more associated with dogs. It goes to show how entertaining owning a cat can be, and that they are not as boring as some may assume. They can both comfort you with their purring and if they are lap cats (as my mama cat is, who is the biggest sweetheart ever), by laying on you, and they can make you laugh with some peculiar traits cats can possess which could make you wonder if they actually originated from a different planet. Other behaviors my cats have comitted that could be associated with the way dogs behave are begging for food while we are eating at the table (though I suppose many other pets would also do that if they know that people will throw down food to them if they simply sit there looking cute and innocent) and incessant licking, which I know is actually associated with the fact that cats enjoy the salty taste of our skin, especially when we sweat.

Although cats are a lot more difficult (if not impossible) to train than dogs are, they are still a joy to have. If I am crying, the mama kitty, Stray, will climb on my lap and rub against me, as though she knows what crying means and is attempting to comfort me. Her baby is hilarious when she chases after toys and will suddenly run around and act crazy for no reason at all. Plus, it is very entertaining to watch how she and her mama interact with each other. Sometimes they will melt your heart by licking (or as we call it, "kissing") each other and sleeping squashed up against each other, but then other times they will suddenly start fighting with each other, sometimes to the point where it seems like they are trying to kill each other (though no, they have never caused each other any known injuries). Our male cat- well, he is a different story entirely. It could be seen as a difference between boy and girl cats, though I have been around males who were calm and sweet. Mine, however, can act so cute with his funny-sounding meows and the way he rolls over where his head is tilted in a way that he looks at things upside down, to the point one will think he is completely harmless, yet attempt to reach out and pet him and you might see his mood change completely where he will attempt to slap you with his paw and bite you! His behavior can be completely unpredictable, though sometimes we can tell if he is beginning to go into one of his "crazy" episodes by the look in his eyes. Maybe he is possessed, who knows...

All I know is that cats can definitely be very amusing creatures and that the owner can be sure to expect some surprises from them, too. A fetching cat could be very well be one of them.

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