You know you're a cat lover when...

Oh yes, I also move over in bed to make room for the cats... or I will try not moving around too much, so as not to disturb them.

Sounds like me.

Khuay is a cutie! My husband (the alpha cat) likes to scare our cats with the foot twitch. DH will be sitting quietly watching TV or at the computer, and an unsuspecting cat will come strolling through the room... DH will just twitch one foot a little and BOING! I must admit it's a bit funny to see a cat jump straight up... or backwards. I really do love the screened in patio idea. Someday.... We're not in the country, but of course keep my cats inside for all the usual reasons. They get to look out the screens at birds, squirrels, neighbors, etc. when the weather is nice enough to open windows. I know they would just love the patio. Dom still occasionally goes to a door and ask to be let out (after living here nearly 5 years.) Uh, Dom maybe YOU forgot that you don't go outside, but I haven't!

I love hearing about people that keep their cats in the house; I started keeping my cats as inside cats a LONG time ago. It breaks my heart every time I see one laying beside the road after being hit bay a car. My cats (and dogs) are children to me, and I didn't let my daughter wander around alone before she was able to understand safety, so I sure wouldn't let my furry people outside to get into trouble. As hard as I try, occassionally one of them escapes and is outside till I catch up with them. Ding Ding, my Maine Koon cat got out one day a few months after I brought him home. He was out for 16 hours and when I finally got him in the house, he was limping. He apparently got into some difficulty with one of the outside animals because his hind leg was sore. After that he didn't have too much interest in going outside. Of course I do some adversion training when they are smaller. I have someone at the family room door to the outside, and they have the cat nearby. On my signal they open the door and the cat starts out...until they get hit with a bit of water from the garden hose. Usually it takes only once and they loose total interest in the outside world. My favorite time for scaring the cats, unintentionally, was one night three of the four were in the family room with their backs to me. My BF and I were sitting watching TV when all the sudden I sneezed a huge sneeze. The sneeze rattled the window (HONEST) and four dogs and three cats and my BF all jumped sky high. That gives your husband one to equal or top! I also was in a motion machine for my left knee. It was plugged into the wall beside the bed and had been hooked up there for two weeks. Well Khuay was walking through one evening while I was laying there when my BF jiggled the cord a little bit. Khuay shot straight up, and like in the cartoons his feet were in running mode while he was in mid air. Of course Khuay's life isn't totally scary. He will fall so deeply asleep that you can pose him like a stuffed toy and he never notices. He also has a tendency to roll over in his sleep and he'll fall out of bed and land on my sister's dog...and he is still sound asleep when he lands. He doesn't wake up until the dog gets up and moves. The herd of idiots (both the dogs and cats) have made my being laid up much easier because of their crazy antics. I would have gone totally nuts without them! The picture I have added is of Ding Ding. I couldn't find him one day and caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye and nearly jumped outta my skin. I'm sure he was laughing at me in his cat way!

We screened in the patio so that the cats could be "outside" in safety. We live out in the country and with the various wild animals (mountain lions, bob cats, raccoons, skunk, coyotes etc) it would be so easy for them to get in trouble. The patio has been wonderful, not just for the cats but for us. We set up a sitting room and even had a T.V. so we could kick back and enjoy life with the cats. I get the biggest kick out of Khuay. He is the jumpiest cat I've ever met! Last night, in bed, I was exercising my left foot (the left leg is where I got the knee replacement) and he was checking out my left foot...well I happened to twitch my right foot and he about jumped through the roof!!! Of course I did the unthinkable in the cat world, I laughed. Khuay stalked out the door with his tail held high...but of course every hair on his tail was standing on end. This made me laugh that much more, and it was several hours before he forgave me for laughing!

It's nice that all our cats allow us to sleep in their beds with them! lol!

your pic looks just like my kitty jet

How did you overcome your fear? Did you meet up with a cat you just couldn't resist?

Luckily my cats don't climb the curtains, but one of them used to like to hang & swing from my DH's shirts in the closet! He would just grab on with his front paws, lift his butt, and wheeeee! DH and I thought it was the cutest, funniest thing! Neither of us really seemed to care about the potential for claw marks on the shirts.

I never use to believe people when they said their cats climbed their curtains until now. These are the first cats I have ever had that have climbed curtains:) I'm lucky really because other people I know say their cats like to rip the curtains when they slide down. So at least I can say they don't do that..lol On their first Christmas they also climbed up the tree and knocked it over. They then started playing with all the baubles. They are quite mischievious really:)

It's nice that you adopt the strays. Every kitty needs a home.

I just love them so much!

I think a lot of people prefer dogs, because they think cats are too independent and aloof. I've found that my cats have always been friendly, cuddly, loving, and playful. I love when they run to greet me when I come home from work (and the bonus! No dog-slobber! LOL)

Well, it certainly is clear that once we invite a cat into our homes and hearts, we no longer maintain ownership of the bed!!

It does make it difficult to be a neat freak. I just finished vacuuming. After I was done, I put everything back in it's proper places (spread all over the living room and dining room)... 2 mousies, 4 feathered toys, a few spongy balls, the fun-to-kick toy, the long shoe-string, a scratch pad & a scratch post... I never bothered to move the 3 tubes (one of which is just a long cardboard box) the little kitty tent, or the big scratching post.

Sorry, that was NEAT freak, not NEWT freak.

I'd be so sad if I was allergic to cats. It's good you have friends with kitties for you to cuddle and play with.

I love watching my cats play with their toys, or with each other.... or with that invisible-to-everyone-but-cats toy that drives them crazy sometimes.