Part Three: The Cats

Cookie will be 10 in a couple of days. He is the size and coloring of a Holstein, but as sweet as can be. He started his life living with a foster dog who licked his head into cowlicks every morning and he's never recovered from the sheer bliss of it. Unfortunately, neither Bernie or Scrappy have the least bit of interest in picking up the habit .

He was inseparable from Woody, a very sweet Holstein-like cat who was white where Cookie was black. Woody passed away from cancer last year and Cookie still misses him, as do we all.


With the exception of Tippet. Tippet - a mere parakeet in comparison with Cookie - does not like: cats or dogs. She loves me and will do any of the following to get my attention: butt me with her head, bite me, paw me. And all of this is done incessantly, unendingly, with an obsessive might that either means she is diabolical or has the mental capacity of a morel. I suspect both.

We will soon be adding a Tuxedo kitten named "Thumper". I have told no one this - including Cookie and Tippet - because my family and friends already suspect that I have "issues". I have found it prudent not to give them any ammunition so I just drop in a turkey, llama, kitten, quail and wait for the reaction. There is a benefit from living with this menagerie - it keeps them off of the subject of why I am not in a meaningful relationship. Amen.

(thank you, Frances, for the amazing pics!)