Into Our Hearts

And so we took this little guy into our brand new family, and he became a part of us. After 17 years, I think I can honestly say he's a part of our marriage. When he dies we'll miss him a ton! He's been a crazy cat.

Charlie quickly made himself at home. He decided he could hunt quite well from the various windows in our house, and loved to perch anywhere he could get a good view. The birds in the yard, squirrels, even leaves blowing in the wind provided him with hours of entertainment while Tim and I were at work. 

His love of dogs began early, thanks to my neighbor's dog, Heinz, who was a frequent visitor in our house. It wasn't unusual for us to see Heinz and Charlie playing, snuggling, entertaining one another as Shannon and I hung out. To this day Charlie loves dogs - the bigger the better. Sometimes when he hears my neighbor's dog Duke (a large Husky-Malamute mix) out in the yard (you can hear his collar tags clinking), Charlie goes to the door to greet Duke. If I open the front door, Charlie will sit there until Duke comes, and instead of running away like most cats, Charlie looks up at Duke and lets that silly dog lick him right in the face! Quite a sight to see!

Some things never change. I guess it's just like us. Check him out sleeping - age 6 mos. and age 5. Exact same position! Note in the second picture what he's sleeping on...the cable box. He loved to perch himself up there. The small electrical box generated just enough heat to keep him happy. "Charlie," we'd sometimes yell, "your tail is blocking the score!"

Gotta love this kitty! Just now he's asleep in the sunroom in a very cozy and fluffy bed. In a little while he'll move to a shadier spot on a flattened cardboard box, but not for long! That sun will be calling him back! Sometimes I think he's really a snake - he can't generate enough body heat on his own. :-)