Pirate Cats An' Orphans

     Have I ever told you 'bout my Pirate Cats?  I think they're a new breed or sumpin'.  We have three of 'em an' they do keep us entertained.  Ours are all black an' look like they have the purtiest fluffy hair.  I say it looks like that 'cause we've never actually been able to touch any of 'em.  They came that way, ya' know; all skitterish an' everything.

     We first realized we had Pirate Cats when the one was born with a head that was about a third the size of his body.  Fortunately, he has grown into his head, now, but he sure was a cutie while it was so much bigger than it shoulda' been.  Right off, we started callin' him Pirate; it jus' seemed to fit.

     Then, we realized that one of the other cats needed an eye patch.  Her eye was lookin' all sad an' sore; I think she must've tangled with one of her brothers or sisters.  Trouble was, we couldn't get near her to do anything about it.  The eye has since healed, so we changed her name from Patch to Salem.  She's so slender an' sleek an', of course black, that she sorta' struck us as bein' the kinda' cat that might hang out with witches an' such.  Thus, the name Salem.

     I know I'm not s'posed to have a favorite, but I really can't help it; I do.  I dunno' if she was the baby of the bunch, but she seems to have been relegated to that position by default.  For one thing, she's kinda' tiny.  She used to be very out-goin', but when she had a run-in with a tractor an' lost one of her legs, her whole personality changed... it seems.  Her name is Stumble.  My good hubby-buddy wanted to call her Stump, but that seemed kinda' cruel, to me.

     Then, one day, we acquired an orphan when someone decided to throw a bunch of kittens out on the highway, near where we live.  Interestingly, she looks jus' like the mama to the other three.  The mama cat doesn't even look like she's related to all those black cats.  Since Mama Cat was still nursing hers, we were sure she would accept this much younger baby an' nurse her, as well.  But alas, that wasn't to be.  In fact, quite the contrary.

     After hissin' an' carryin' on like she was gonna' do damage to that baby, we took a real likin' to the orphan.  Soon, treats were bein' put out for the orphan an' we were lettin' her in the house an' pettin' her an' all.  Meanwhile, Mama Cat an' all her offspring took every opportunity to ostracize that poor little orphan.  We couldn't unnerstan' it, but Li'l Orphan Annie, as we called her, acted as though it didn't bother her.  She jus' bided her time an' learned to play by herself.  We were impressed.

     Yesterday, we went for a ride an' when we came home, there was a pile of cats near the garage.  As we got closer, the pile turned into an explosion an' it was then that we realized jus' how patient Li'l Orphan Annie had been.  Everyone had been nursin', an' Mama Cat seemed more contented than ever before.  Come to think of it, I really can't decide who my favorite is; I love 'em all.

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya