I have never had children nor lived with them so I don’t know what it’s like. I do remember that I was a delightful child, always obedient. At least that’s how I remember it. Fortunately my mother isn’t around to dispute me.
Living with cats is different. First off, they don’t really listen to you. They do understand you. If you say words like vet, food or porch, they will react appropriately depending on their mood. That is except for vet which means everyone under the bed quick.
Food means twirl through the food giver’s legs. Perhaps you can trip her and get to the can faster. Porch means smelling the great outdoors with the safety of a screen between you and the other wildlife.
They understand no but prefer not to act like they do.
They have a mind of their own.
They are not allowed on the tables. As you can see they don’t quite get the concept of table. I can excuse Morgan because she is still in training (how long does that last anyway?) but although Hazel will not allow her picture taken on the table, I know she likes to nap there in the middle of the night.
How do I know? Because my centerpiece, whatever it is, is rearranged. I don’t believe we have a ghost.
I’d like to say they don’t sleep on beds but hey, they’re cats. That is their favorite place. Soft and cushy, off the floor, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Prior to house guests, the bedding always needs to be cleaned lest someone ingests tons of cat hair — like enough to make an afghan. Anyone with cat allergies need not apply.

The beloved husband and Jake snuggling on the loveseat. Jake swore he didn’t have gas but hey, he’s a cat!
They prefer chairs to the floor. They also prefer the chairs we sit on. Jake routinely slithers into the six inches between the beloved husband and me on the reclining loveseat. There are three other equally cushy empty chairs in the room but they won’t do. He would rather pack us in.
Although they don’t sleep with us at night, they are there when we don’t feel well. Here is a photo of me taking a daytime nap while being guarded? Comforted? By the crew.
For some reason, napping other than at night requires watchful cat eyes to ensure nothing bad happens to their food giver.
The beloved husband does not like them to sleep under the covers. It rarely happens but we did catch Hazel taking a snooze there.
They all get the same wet cat food. I mean from the same can. Yet they move from dish to dish to see whose food is tastier. Seriously!
There are other places they like to sleep. By the way, that little ceramic duck next to Morgan on the left is gone. Broken to bits!
No cat post would be complete without a discussion of their pooping habits which involve which cat gets the honor of desecrating a newly cleaned litter box in record time. Currently Morgan gets the honors because she is the fastest.
Life without cats would be cleaner, quieter and with less work but frankly, a little boring for me.







The cats share a remarkable number of traits with children.
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Somehow I am not surprised!
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OMG, but they are so cute! Of course they get away with murder. We long ago gave up on the concept that the cats aren’t allowed in certain areas, on tables, countertops, etc. It’s a losing battle, especially when you’re outnumbered,
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We still like to think we have the upper hand. Just humor us.
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I loved this…so funny…love the picture when you’re napping and they’re all on the bed, like furry marines. You need to do captions more…so sweet…has my yearning up for a kitty cat.
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Thanks!
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You’re a wonderful writer Kate!
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LOVE this post. My dog must be a lot like a cat, she does most of those things. I put her sheet (the bed cover she NEEDS to sleep on every night) in the washing machine and almost clogged the thing with enough dog hair to make a carpet.
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You gotta love them though. They are so fun.
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No kids here either, but we have had cats. All our married life. Currently without a cat. This is funny Kate! Best picture.. Morgan curled up on the mantel.. 🙂 So is it mantel or mantle?
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That’s not my favorite picture because right after that she broke my favorite duck. She hasn’t been up there since. I think it’s mantel!
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Somehow, all these character traits of cats endear them to me. Maybe because I know they’re not going to change, so I might as well just love them as they are.
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Me too. I know some people think they are sneaky. I just think they are more quiet than dogs but just as fun loving.
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Agree with you it will be boring without cats. With you in bed is similar to what happens on my bed. Love it.
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There is a comfort to having the critters around when you don’t feel so good.
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So true and lots of giggles. Perfect description of cat politics and management of life and humans
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There is certainly never a dull moment!
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“As you can see they don’t quite get the concept of table.”
Best description of cats that I’ve read in ages. So true. Made me laugh out loud. Thx.
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Glad I could oblige!
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There’s never a dull moment with a cat or cats in the house. You’ve got a spoiled bunch there! 🙂
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Do ya think?
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I love your photo essay. Beautiful kitties. Who could blame Jake for wanting to take advantage of body heat? Our two cats, like yours, love to sit where we do. Even if it means stretching out and taking up the whole couch. But, without them? There just wouldn’t be any fun.
I, too, thought I was the perfect child. Once, when my daughters were little and acting up, I was on the phone to my Dad and asked if I was that bad as a child. “No,” he retorted. “You were worse.” So much for that illusion. 😉
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I was never crazy enough to ask my mother that question. She had 2 boys before me. She always said that boys were easier. I was born with a mind of my own. Even as a toddler, I picked out my own clothes.
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What a great collection of photos…ah, the evidence of the photo essay. Can it be?
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I couldn’t agree with you more, Kate. My house would be cleaner, but there would be a lot less laughter.
We always joke that the cats train us; we don’t train them. As for sitting on the furniture, I believe the rule of thumb is that if it isn’t comfortable for the humans to sit on, the cats won’t sit on it either. There is an exception to this rule which applies to tables and counters.
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There would be a lot less eyerolls too. That’s from the cats, not us.
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In the words of a true cat lover…….
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Another bonus ~ cats don’t go to college, allowing their “parents” to spend the college tuition on other things. Like Starbucks. 😉
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Really! Thank God for that!
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Forget a dog’s life, your cats have it good. T-Bob recognizes his name and “treats”.
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They do ok. Of course they are not happy about vet visits.
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I relate 100% to your post – too funny! You’ve got the cat behaviour down pat because my cat does the very same things (gets on the table, has to be in the place we are sitting etc.). Jasmine (Jazzy for short), also delights in opening the doors on my wall unit, dresser and china cabinet and going inside there. She doesn’t like being sprayed with water, so I keep a “squirt bottle” loaded but rarely end up having to spray her; just threaten…..since nothing else works to get her attention. She can try my patience for sure, just like your cats (beautiful kitties by the way), but I agree that life just wouldn’t be the same without her!
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Anything that’s fun is work. This morning I stepped in cat barf. Fortunately I had socks on or it would have squished between my toes! Yuk!
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I love these pictures!!!
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Thanks!
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Sounds like a perfectly lovely life, for the cats and the two-legged creatures who feed them!
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Yes, they have spent years training us. We are a bit slow sometimes….
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