This Is Charlie

Charlie came to us several years ago when he was just a tiny little kitten. He quickly endeared himself to us by scratching furniture, clamping onto ankles, climbing pantlegs and using the bathtub as his litter box. Of course the fact that he was the cutest kitten in the universe didn't hurt his chances of becoming one of the family. As punishment for removing certain parts of his anatomy he began to find ways to make sure you knew he was around. Shredded bits of Kleenex, catnip mice leaking flakes of their innards, curios knocked off their perch, paw prints on window sills... well you get the picture. We certainly have had our fun, at his expense, for Charlie loves to chase the beam of light from a flashlight and/or laser light. We have had him running in circles, or trying to climb up the wall after the light and honestly it was pretty funny to watch! Overall, Charlie grew into a wonderful adult cat, complete with personality, and has learned to tolerate us. He doesn't mind if we complain that he weighs too much (16 lbs) when he jumps up into our laps, nor does he mind the permanent removal of all his "presents" that he leaves on the back steps for us. And I can't think of any reason why I should let him share my hammock on those warm summer afternoons, but I do.