My first blog will be a worthless diatribe on cats. We have had as many as 12 cats and are now down to 5. 2 of the 5 cats are expecting kittens unfortunately and 1 of the 5 rarely comes around anymore. Each of the 5 cats has its own personality and superficial value system although all of them have similar expectations and base instincts. 1 cat we call Tornado is magnificent for a cat anyway. He is all black, very muscular, long-bodied, even temperament, and quite protective of his domain on the back porch. He does wander off during the day but always returns at night. He loves to be held and is not afraid of human beings. Yet he displays unusual courage around other animals such as raccoons and skunks. If there were contests for cats, I believe he would win almost any contest.

Another cat we call Harrison is part Siamese and is a loner. He does not like the other cats and prefers to be by himself. He does occasionally enjoy sitting on a lap and always been desperate to be an inside cat. He looks for opportunities to run in the house and seems to be a very healthy cat with good grooming habits. In fact, this is one of the unifying elements of cats. They are generally well-groomed, neat in appearance, and desire a clean environment. This is one of the only redeeming qualities of a cat in this author's opinion.

The 2 cats that are expecting are of a low variety. They do not like humans and remain suspicious of any activity that involves humans. They hiss, scratch, bite, and are generally mean. I cannot understand their attitude since I am the one who feeds them and provides them with water. I like them the least and wish they would go somewhere else. I am curious, however, as to their off-spring. Will their kittens inherit this same dark suspicion and evil nature of their parents? Is this an inherited or acquired trait? Time will tell the story. We regret not having these cats fixed; however, they were impossible to capture.

The cat that rarely comes around anymore had three litters before we decided enough was enough and had her fixed. With the fixing has come a generally undesirable disposition and the tendency to go elsewhere. She is no longer friendly and shows up looking as though she has been in battle. We see her about once every two weeks and are slightly curious as to her habits. We have to wonder if another family has adopted her. If so, we are happy to provide the neighborhood with pets.

I enjoy talking about our cats with people since I get a wide disparity of opinions. Some believe in the "shoot them all and be happy you don't have any" philosophy. Others believe in the "let nature determine how many there are and enjoy all of them" philosophy. Still others believe in the "keep a few around but keep them in control through neutering and spaying" philosophy.

I myself gain no emotional satisfaction from our cats, but am comforted that rodents and snakes around our house are rare. Since we live in the country, cats provide a practical element of "critter control" and for that I am thankful.