The Cats Who...Ran a Household

"Cats are cats the world over.
These intelligent, peace-loving,
four-footed friends...
who are without prejudice,
without hate,
without greed...
may someday teach us something."
__James Mackintosh Qwilleran
(Fictional cat lover and columnist in Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat Who" book series)

This cat collage is not so much about Selma, but about cats who have run a household in Selma.

Skidzoo, the black-and-white shorthair at left, serves as a morning alarm, waking his subjects no later than 5:30 a.m. every day. His meows don't stop until someone is in the kitchen, and the family hasn't needed an alarm clock for going on a dozen years! He's an animal-shelter rescue, reportedly bewitching a customer who was looking for a dog. At his advanced age, he still sometimes reverts to kittenhood, racing and skidding around the house.

Miss Kitty (top right) a Norwegian Forest feline according to one vet, and a Dallas County long-haired cur according to another, found 7th Heaven after cat lovers discovered her eating fly-infested leftovers from a garbage can. She was rib-poking skinny with a roaring stomach and maggot-infested skin sores. But she had a magnanimous purr, affectionate disposition, and like Harry Potter...untapped potential. She was meant to reign. But nobody claimed her, and she became queen of their house.
After her wounds healed, Miss Kitty's large frame filled out, and she gradually began to trust her family, occasionally creeping from a corner to comfort them when they were sick. She became Nurse Kitty, snuggling whoever sneezed, coughed or was down in their back. After several years, curiosity and an insatiable desire for food literally ended her life. Last summer, Miss Kitty apparently went sniffing around a fired-up grill while another animal was also checking it out. A ruckus ensued, but the unseen perpetrator escaped. It must have been big, because Miss Kitty weighed around 20 pounds and had thick, sharp claws with which to defend herself.

Taz (bottom), said to be a Maine Coon cat, was the most gentle pet around. He didn't even mind being held upside down (not that such tactics were encouraged)! He was also known as the In and Out Cat, because as soon as he came inside, he wanted back out...and vice versa...all day long. He kept all escape routes open and in working condition.

So, an extra pat on the head to all those crazy, comforting and cuddly cats!