Yes, I have 4 cats, deal with it.

I love all my kitties, as evidenced by this blog. Yeah, yeah, I'm single and I have four cats but that fact is, if I was not single and had kids, I'd still love my cats just as much because they offer a companionship wholly different. They speak back, but I don't understand them so we never have issues.

I never set out to have more than one cat, but sometimes circumstances lead you to a place you never thought you'd be. I grew up with only one cat (literally, we got him when I was 3 and he lived until I was 21). I had one kitty (Stella) now as an adult and I was content.

Stella - The Princess Herself

Then fate stepped in and friends asked me to care for their two (Scudsie and her sister Pootie), and so I all of a sudden had three. Overnight, just like that. And I found that, it was quite amusing watching their distinct personalities.

Pootie, Left - Scudsie, Right

 
So when Pootie died quite suddenly, I thought to myself...do I dare add another one to this mix. But then a plea from the SPCA for people to adopt adult kitties who were already fixed tugged at my heart strings as I know they're the hardest to find homes for and my coworker (who had three already) and I headed to the Adoption Fair in search of another furry friend to add to our crazy little households.

It is here I stumbled upon Dax, sitting in his cage quietly - a black and white boy with a bit of an overbite that made his fang teeth not fit in his mouth when it was closed. I decided to hold him which made me a bit nervous as the Adoption Fair was outside so I thought...what if he gets away...but out he came. He nuzzled right into me, purred loudly and didn't even squirm a bit. And that was that, home he came to join my girls Stella and Scudsie. Dax's personality is something that could take up many blog posts (and likely will) all by itself. We'll just leave it at, he loves everyone and everything and I couldn't have asked for a better source of daily entertainment.

Dax, the day I brought him home. Clearly had a hard time adjusting.

So there I was with my little family of three furry ones and quite content. Deciding that because I had the time and ability, and amidst another desperate plea for help from the SPCA, I started to foster last summer. It was an exhausting summer, because every kitty almost that came into my world was sick and needed a lot of TLC and caused a lot of worry before they could be adopted (more on that . And it is out of that adventure that my fourth little boy, Roo, came to live with us and he too, comes with a story that almost broke my heart.

Little Roo, the last addition.

So in a span of two years, I went from having one little Stella, to four that make up quite the family. I go through cat food faster than I thought possible, litter like its going out of style, and own nothing that isn't covered in cat fur. I don't buy any kind of rug that's in any way expensive, as I know it'll become a scratching post, I don't have any blankets or boxes that haven't become favored beds, I rarely get to sleep on my own pillow, I'm woken up every morning by one or more furry creatures and there are enough kitty toys in various places around my house to cause a regular walking hazard. But, when all is said and done I would not change a thing. In a world where too many cats are homeless, these four are living the life, and I can afford to give it to them and in return I get lots of entertainment and joy watching them do their thing. Seems like a fair deal to me.