My Babies

     Well, you have all met my Sisterhood.  As I wrote, they are important to me like...well...oxygen.  There are others who are vital to me also...my cats.  I introduced you to ShadowBug previously.  She now resides at the Rainbow Bridge with several other babies that had gone before her.  But I have 2 others still with me, Jessee and Tink.

   
     Jessee is my 'old man' at 17 and starting to show his age.  He has been mine since the day he was born.  I lost my heart the moment I saw that blaze of white that goes up the ridge of his nose.  In fact, that's how he got his name.  Like Jesse James, he stole my heart.
     Jess is basically a shy guy.  Very few people get close to him but me.  He has learned to accept pets from my ERT, but no one else can touch him unless I hog-tie him in some sort of death-like vise grip, including the vet.  He is my foot warmer and a purring machine.  He tolerates very little nonsense from anyone, especially Tink (the baby).

  
     Tink (the Terror) is my baby.  She was originally supposed to be my former roommate's cat, but that didn't last long.  Guess Tink figured out who was the true cat fanatic of the household and she quickly laid claim to my heart too.  She is still full of the rambunctious energy of a young cat, ripping back and forth like some kind of manic, waging war against unseen foe.  She has perfected a cat's knack of coming into a room, looking around wide eyed then running away in apparent terror.
     Since ShadowBug left us for the Bridge, Tink has taken over the comforting and snuggling duties, which she is very good at.  At bedtime, she paces for a little while till she finds the perfect spot then she begins to 'make biscuits' till I either have to hold her paws or she falls asleep, which ever comes first.  I have figured out that she loves to have the space between her shoulders stroked gently till she falls asleep, so that has begun to replace the need to hold down her paws when she gets too enthusiastic kneading.  Tink is my latest little love-bug, and I hope she is with me as long (if not longer) than Bug was, because each cat that leaves me takes a piece of me with them.  This little girl has already staked out a big portion of my soul...I can little afford to have her leave me anytime soon...and God willing, she won't.