Cats. (The Actual Animal, Not the Musical.)

Well. Here it is; The long awaited blog on, you guessed it, CATS!

Who DOESN'T love cats?? They're quirky, cute and cuddly, fluffy, sometimes fat, and fun.
Seriously, if you don't love cats there's something wrong with you. They say that cats are evil and dogs are angels... but that's so WRONG! Just because they're not annoying like dogs doesn't mean they're evil. Cat's are independent so they don't need your constant attention. Besides... how many dogs can you find as far as internet memes go compared to cats?? Very few because, you know, dogs aren't as awesome as cats. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate dogs, I just don't like them as much as I like cats. I guess you could say that one day that crazy cat lady everyone talks about will be me.

I've had a cat ever since I was conceived. My first cat was a Siamese cat named Max. I was born with apnea and was on lots of monitors for a while, and from what I'm told he used to sit on the edge of my crib and watch me while I slept. A lot of people say that you shouldn't have cats around babies; I think that's a load of crap, unless your cat is stupid and mean. Anyway, Max was my first best friend, I loved him more than anything (and still do) and I even named his tail, Wormis... When he died, on December 9, 2002 (yeah, I remember), I went to school wearing all black clothes (my parents wouldn't let me stay home even though I was hysterical because I was the one to find him). He lived 14 years.

Then there was snowball. She was an asshole but awesome at the same time. She was the mafia leader of the neighborhood and beat a lot of asses (without her front claws, even). My dad used to talk and sing to her and she would reply every time. She wasn't one of those cats who liked to cuddle a lot or be petted, but every once in a while she would lay in bed with you or cuddle with you on the couch. Everything was on her own terms. When she died, February 9, 2008 (I remember that, too, 6 years and 3 months after Max..) I, once again, was the one to find her. FML. She lived 16 years.

The last segment of my personal cat stories is about Manny (Dingo). He was the first cat that was actually mine (I paid for the adoption and took care of him... for the most part). Dingo always wanted outside and I didn't want him to be an outside cat, even though we lived out of town at that time. My dad started letting him outside, and you know how that goes. After Matt and I moved from my parents' house I didn't want to take him with because we lived off of a busy street in town. About three weeks later (March 6, 2011) he got run over, and my dad found him in the ditch across the street. I wore his collar as a bracelet for a long time, but now it hangs from the rearview mirror in my car. He was about 4 years old.

I now have Gracie. I know I said that Dingo was the last of my personal stories, but I lied... Gracie is one of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen, even though she's a real fat ass. I've had her for about 9 months now and I love her, despite her attitude lol. Gracie is about 4 years old now.

I don't really know what else to say about cats, except for some fun facts I guess.

• Cats' brains act in the same way, emotionally, as a human's.
• The cat's tail is used to maintain balance.
• Cats have the largest eyes of any mammal.
• Ailurphile is the word cat lovers are officially called.
• Purring doesn't always mean a cat is happy. Loud or heavy purring can indicate distress or pain.
• In the UK and the US, cats are kept as pets more than dogs are. At least 35% of households with cats have 2 or more.
• On average a cat will sleep 16 hours a day.
• A cat's sense of smell is 14 times that of a human. In addition to being able to smell with their nose, they also have sensory glands located on the roof of their mouth. So when you see a cat leave it's mouth slightly open after smelling something it's because they're catching a better whiff of a scent that they enjoy.
• Cats have glands in their cheeks and paws that secrete pheromones, so when they knead or rub their faces on you they are marking their territory.

Now, go watch this video so you can be happy today:
http://www.slothster.com/2352-Cat-On-Boat-Plays-With-Dolphins.html