Zoe, Rosie, Bob, Atticus and Callie

Zoe and Rosie

Rosie's (on the right) been with us 11 years this month. She was a stray of unknown breed that my friend Ellen Royal and I found as a very tiny puppy walking one day when we still lived at the lake. She's good and loyal companion. Zoe, acquired from a breeder, started out being Grant's dog but she's very attached to me. We call Zoe Idiot Dog most of the time. She is very strange--all there is to it! Very neurotic. Sneaky, got to watch her ALL the time or she's in the trash or having an accident. She's looking at me sheepishly in this photo. I took it this morning and she knew she was "in the dog house" because the little sh-t peed on the carpet this morning and I had put her out and hadn't yet let her back into my good graces!!

Olivia's Atticus

Jug calls him Henry. She named him after To Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus--she loves that book. A very good cat. He's who exposed Jug and me to feline friends. We'd never been cat people until Atticus. We're now a member of the People Who Love Cats Club!!

Our Bob

My friend Lisa Factor calls me up one day about two years ago and says--now, Kim, you know you can say no to me, right? Yep, I can. Well, you're not looking for a cat pet, are you? And sure enough, I was! After Jug and I saw how wonderful a cat can be --having Atticus here when O was home from school, I was actually looking for a good cat. Olivia and I had been to the shelter in Asheville twice and I had left empty handed because I was waiting for the perfect one! Lisa and her family had just acquired a new puppy, a Maltese, I think, and as a puppy, she was extremely tiny--like a good sized mouse and their cat, my Bob, their Shadow, thought she was prey! Lisa said she couldn't relax for fear Bob would eat their new baby!! I said, yeah, bring him over. Best cat that EVER was! He is absolutely perfect! He's indoor/outdoor which I love because he rarely uses the litter box. He's very affectionate, climbing up onto mine or Jug's lap daily to snooze. He's vocal too. Talks to us all the time. A truly great cat!! And no, Lisa, you can't have him back!!

Isn't Bob just regal?

This is Callie. Another of Olivia's cats. She was also a pound kitty. She's a Siamese mix. Olivia acquired her because she thought Atticus needed a companion. Callie had been completely de-clawed which I think is the most cruel thing you can do to a cat! She's completely defenseless and can never go outside. Recently, Olivia's friend, Aly has taken Callie on. We are just about pet poor and Olivia had begun to feel a bit crowded in her one-bedroom since she got Gabby. How it continues to work out for Callie and Aly!!