Fur in my Coffee

I have 5 cats, a husband and 2 dogs, hold on, let me rearrange that, I have a husband, 5 cats and 2 dogs. There are things in my house and things that happen in my house that normal people might find strange, but here are perfectly normal.

For example: there is a cardboard box sitting in the middle of my kitchen. Yes, an empty box, doesn't everyone keep an empty box in the middle of their kitchen floor for entertainment purposes? If you don't you should! I mean, have you seen the fun a cat can have with a box? Multiply that times 5 and you cannot imagine the hysterics!

I also have a towel on my kitchen table. Why? I feed the cats there, on the table on the towel. Remember the 2 dogs? Yes, they like cat food too and the stuff is to expensive to feed one very active and one very fat dog. The downside is they (the cats) think I should set them a place, plate, fork and all when I serve dinner.

Another possible oddity in my house is I have a very luscious comforter with deep, rich colors, its thick and fluffy and its covered with a sheet. We like to call it the protect-O sheet, why?? We have 5 cats, they sleep on the bed, there is lots and LOTS of fur and the occasional fur ball. The protect-O sheet - when covered in whatever unspeakable treasure a kitty has left behind, can be pealed off, tossed aside (sometimes outside) and replaced with another one. Because of the sheet and the changing of the sheet, my bedroom always looks different.

I will be getting my Christmas ornaments out soon, I have lots of stuff, My Mama loves Christmas and provides me with many beautiful decorations (which I love, thank you mama!) However, everything has to be precisely placed, not because I am picky or controlling with my decorations. remember... 5, FIVE, cats, kitty's, felines. You know what cats like to do? Climb trees and play with sparkly things, like ornaments. Everything on the bottom half of my tree is plastic or resin anything less breakable. All the really pretty stuff and glass things go on top. The really breakable stuff never makes it to the tree, it all goes on the mantel a little safer...(maybe). The cats do love the tree skirt. I'm probably the only person in the world with a hand made, hand painted and decorated skirt, completely covered in fur, cat fur that is!

There are a few other things I do differently than someone in a non-pet home (or a home with fewer pets...). I do not have many trinkets sitting out, not because I am afraid the nephews will bother them but because I know the cats will. Especially Quincy, he thinks everything is a toy and should be played with. That's why all of my coasters have huge cracks or chips in them, they have all hit the floor at one time or another. Sometimes its not the cats, its Brindle. He thinks he's a cat, a 98 lb cat with a long, thick tail that can clear a table in two wags. I lost a wine glass or two to that tail. Its particularly destructive because he wags his whole back side and it is a large backside. The dog moves furniture when he wants something. I've seen him relocate the coffee table when it was between him and food, its interesting.

Even though I have a house full of fur and have stepped in quite a few accidents. Despite the chewed up stuff and the subsequent puked up stuff, 5 icky kitty pans, poop patrol, hairballs, expensive food, broken coasters and plastic Christmas ornaments. All of my clothes have some sort of fur on them, my car seats are furry and I probably have fur in my coffee right now. I love my pets, more than most people and I would not change a thing!