geckzilla, I swear I've owned that cat!
(And have the scars to prove it.)
starstruck, that's a lovely family portrait!
TNT, I've had a lot of different animals, including birds (a vicious parakeet, a lovebird, and zebra finches) and gerbils (the latter supposedly my son's), and when I was younger, my family had not only cats and a dog, but tropical fish, seahorses, turtles, salamanders, and a hamster (which we were ill-equipped for). I wanted a snake, but was not allowed to have one, and of course I wanted a horse! The dog, turtles, and salamanders were mine, the hamster and tropical fish my older brother's, the seahorses and cats, oh, so many cats!, were everyone's.
When my younger brother was 36 and very ill, I brought some old photographs to the hospital, among them one of a great dunderheaded grey tabby we had as children; Grey Baby, as we called him, was a particular favorite of my brother's. (Well, of everyone's, but especially my younger brother.) Pictures of family members and friends, various animals, good times, he enjoyed seeing, but it was the black-and-white photo of Grey Baby that choked him with emotion; my older brother and I slipped that photograph in his pocket at the funeral.
Ann, I may have to clarify something. Lentil was injured before we got him; it was his former owner who dealt with (and paid wads and wads o' money for; I've purchased cars for less) his injuries. We got him a year or two after his use of perhaps eight of his nine lives. My son, then small, wanted a cat, but as he had gerbils at the time, I was reluctant to get one. Someone at work sent me an email notice about a three-legged cat needing a new home, and... well... he was at least 25% less likely to get into the gerbil cages, so we took him sight unseen (as in, he was already in a carrier to be rehomed when we went to see him). The gerbils were housed in what we referred to as the "gerbilopolis," which was multiple cages (6-8 usually) connected with tubes, with several levels. Lentil used to drape himself on top of one cage in particular; the gerbils were completely fearless and just didn't care he was there. (I did, though, and used to drag him off.)
Re: crazy neighborhood cat lady, the title has too many syllables, costs too much, and I do want to someday know what it's like to breath normally! That's not going to happen while I have cats.
Rob, my cats kind of name themselves. Names evolve out of their behavior or features, usually. Someday maybe I'll be old enough to give an animal a proper moniker; I'd be embarrassed about "Puddems" except that it just fits him so well! (He is the felinification of
cute. Darn cat!)
Orin, wow, curiosity caught your childhood tuxedo cat! Poor thing, but good for him for the treat trick! (And good for the others, too, to learn the behavior!)
Bummer. Kinda makes you want to 
nails.
and 
person. I'm not much for pets anymore. I'm all i can handle now-a-days. And besides, cats are always bringing home dead mice and dogs are always commenting on the top of your house. roof-roof 
, thanks! 
I think the mail man is the only person she doesn't like; and that's probably because he is so afraid of dogs! Of course he probably meets some mean ones on his route. 
