FAQ
How many cats to you have?
17
How can you remember all their names?
Easy! I got them all tattooed on my right forearm. Nah! I remember because I named them, and well, they’re my cherished companions.
Where do they all sleep?
The cats usually sleep with or on top of the humans during the night. During the day, they sleep on the furniture, the cat trees, upstairs, on the floor, in the kitchen, and anywhere else they like.
Do they all get along?
For the most part they do get along. The house is peaceful, and there’s never been any blood shed. However, there are a few cats that have on going feuds. For example, Reina, Michette and Ariel don’t like one another; Omar and Michette tangle quite often; Onni, Mars, and Bruce smack each other on occasion; Onni and Reina can’t stand to be near one another; Tiny Pea and most of the cats in the HOP, but especially Pooka.
Over the years I’ve had to separate four of the cats from the GP: Juga, Jewel, Smudge, and Zoe. Juga was never socialized well with other cats, so prefers the company of people. Jewel (a feral) is aggressive towards other cats, but shares a room with Juga. They have their own areas in the room, so they rarely squabble. Smudge and Zoe (sisters) were both targeted by Pooka and viciously attacked for a reason I still don’t understand. Pooka has been a mystery to me as far as his aggression towards the other cats is concerned. I saw no other option but to keep the sisters in a bedroom (separate from Juga and Jewel).
None of the aggression gets out of hand, so I usually don’t intercede in the fights. I’d rather the cats settle the disputes because I think this is healthy. My theory: The more the cats dictate the social order, the less stress they will receive from my reaction or interference. However, if there are vicious assaults, then, of course, I step in and do what I think best for the cats. Thankfully that’s been few and far between.
Are your cats indoor or outdoor cats?
They are all strictly indoor cats. We had a black and white Mainecoon, named Blacksmith, years ago that was an outdoor cat until he was hit by a car and crippled. He was not allowed outside by himself after that, although we did take him out for supervised walks. We vowed never to give any future cats the opportunity to live outdoors. Now that we live in a forest, it’s not a good idea to feed the bears, Mountain Lions, raccoons, or any of the other wild creatures. These animals don’t the need the intervention of humans to survive.
How much is your vet bill monthly?
This varies from month to month, so it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact amount. Sometimes it’s as little as $25. And, sometimes it’s an astronomical amount in the hundreds. It just depends on the cats.
How much do you spend on food and litter each month?
We spend approximately $225 each month.
Now, how many cats do you have again?
17
Which one is your favorite?
That’s quite an inappropriate question and absolutely impossible for me to answer. This is also my answer to the question, “What is your favorite food?” Again, that’s impossible to answer and quite inappropriate given my dieting history.
Is your mom O.K. with that many cats?
Hell, yes! She’s responsible for half of them. She’s as bad as I am.
How do you live with that many cats?
We are constantly dressed in HAZMAT suits. Jokes aside, it’s a tremendous amount of work. Most of our Sundays are devoted to cleaning the house. Also, it’s not as horrible as some might think. Cats are fastidious creatures that prefer their living spaces clean. Actually, cats have a very stinky way of letting you know if you’ve slacked on your house cleaning duties.
Can you name all of your cats?
Yes, just let me take off my shoes first or borrow your hands.
What does the name ‘Juga’ mean?
I can’t remember the exact details, but I heard this word on the radio years ago. While out shopping one day, we were listening to an interview of an entomologist, and he was talking about a kind of creature that was a cross between a leech and a slug (I think). Anyway (and I swear I wasn’t dreaming or drunk), when I heard this name, the first thing I said was, “That would be a great name for a cat!” Shortly after that, I found Juga in the backyard. Coincidence, The Universe, Karma, or God was having some fun that day as I was lured into a false sense of being psychic.
What does the name ‘Michette’ mean?
We found Mars, Michette, and a litter mate in our backyard hiding around the garden shed. We finally found Michette hiding in a chest of drawers. I was taking French classes at the time, so I decided to find a cute French word for her. When I couldn’t find a word I liked, I made up a French word by combining two different French nouns. I settled on combining the two French words, mie (meaning ‘crumb’), and cachette (meaning ‘hiding-place’). Michette was indeed as tiny as a little crumb hiding in the corner of a drawer.
Have you gotten any more cats?
No. I still have 17.
Why the name ‘Tiny Pea’?
As I began to name Reina’s kittens, the word ‘pea’ kept popping into my head when I looked at the smallest kitten. She was so incredibly tiny, so I thought that I would call her a ‘tiny pea’ since that suggested that she was even smaller than a pea. Awwww!
Why the name ‘Smudge’?
When Smudge was still a kitten, she had beautiful markings. Although she is a black cat, if light hits her just right, you can make out tabby markings that have the bull’s eye pattern in a just lighter than black, black rather than the stripes. This looked to me as if someone had smudged two colors of paint together in a swirling design, hence the name.
How did you come up with all the names for your cats?
Sometimes, the cats told me their names. I simply listened to them. (You laugh or perhaps raised an eyebrow?) Of the cats that told me their names, I just spent time with them and waited until a name popped into my head. I like to believe that this was their way of with me. I’m serious. I just had to wait until I felt that a certain name was perfect.
At other times, I choose the name based on certain characteristics, how the cat was found, or anything that I was interested in at the time. By the look of their names, there have always been strange influences at work.
Would you like more cats?
If I had a bigger house and made more money? Sure.
And, lastly…..
Why?!
I love cats.
