Life With Cats

Warning:  This post contains lots and lots of cute kitty photos.  

We brought them home on June 15, 2014 on Father’s Day.  My oldest son, who was a graduate student at the time, lived across from his Resident Director whose parents lived in South Dakota.  They had three litters of barn kittens.  I had lost my beloved almost 20-year-old cat 10 months previously, and had grieved hard.  Though feeling a little reluctant, I decided I was ready to get a kitten.  I plain and simply missed having an animal in my house to love and care for.  I had love to give and I was ready to give it.  Amanda, my son’s resident director, sent  me photos of the three litters and my heart melted.  How could I decide which one to take when they were all so stinkin’ cute?  There were blonde tabbies, orange tabbies, gray tabbies, and calicoes.  In the end, I chose two.

My husband was the one who named the little blonde tabby Nugget (he said he was our little gold nugget).

I named the gray tabby Dakota (after his birth place).  That quickly got shortened to Cody.

Don’t let the innocent faces fool you!

I’ve enjoyed watching these two grow and can hardly believe that they are already four years old.  There’s never a dull moment with these two around!  They are as different as night and day.  Dakota is shy and scared of strangers and his own shadow.  But he’s also very affectionate to my husband and me.  He drools when he gets affectionate.  He’s also the more playful of the two.  Nugget doesn’t know a stranger.  He loves to climb in boxes, sacks and odd places.  He loves water, especially watching dripping water.  Oh, how I love these guys and can’t imagine life without them.

They love to help with the seasonal decorating.

After a hard day of play…  Family barbecues on the Fourth of July can be exhausting!

There were the toilet paper parties I was never invited to during their adolescence and the looks of “We have NO idea who possibly could have done this.”  Thankfully, those parties stopped as they grew.

They were mesmerized by their first snow.

Nugget has his favorite chair he prefers to nap in.  We call him Archie Bunker.

Napping is what they do best.  I love to watch napping kitties.

Brotherly love…. hugging brother’s neck and he’s not letting go!

Nugget’s favorite toy (Mr. Weasel)

Did you say something?

Must you rudely interrupt my nap?????

These two can find themselves in some very odd sleeping positions!

Sometimes, there’s some sibling rivalry but most of the time, there’s love

Cats are such funny and curious creatures. That’s what I love about them.  Yes, sometimes they can seem aloof, but most of the time, they are very, very loving.  They have such fun personalities.

Dakota’s favorite thing…. Ice!!!! He will play with ice for hours.

Just what exactly IS this thing?????

I hope these two are around for many more years to come.  They bring me much joy as you can see.  They help ease the emptiness of an empty nest.  Life is just better with them in it.

Oh, you wanted cake????? Um, about that cake…

Gail ♥