I didn't mean it, really

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I'm an animal lover and have had animals all of my adult life. Calli (Oop) and Cody are my two latest additions. As young kittens, they were found on a farm in middle Tennessee and ended up in Chattanooga with an animal lover. Via another animal lover and my good friend, Jeanne, they came to live with me. This is like six degrees of separation because it took those two animal lovers to hook up and rope me in to taking the cats, which I'm so grateful I did get them almost four years ago. I was visiting my friend in Chattanooga and instead of taking them with me, I ended up driving back down there to pick them up.

Oop, as I've nicknamed her, and Cody were close as kittens and always snuggled together. They don't do it as much now, but they always snuggled as youngsters.

I think Cody probably saved Oop's life by making sure she had food and protecting her. He is the outgoing cat, and she is more reserved. However, she has really come out of her shell in the last couple of years. And she is definitely a Mama's girl. I have a children's book in my head about their early days and loyalty, family and friendship. Maybe some day I'll get it written.

I say all this to share a photo from the other morning. I always bring my cats into the bathroom when I take a shower because Velvet, my chow, lays outside the door, and she doesn't like to be bothered. At 80 pounds, I don't want her to have any reasons to be aggravated. She has a lot of pain issues with arthritis in her back and has to take medications for that. So I don't want to add to her stress. Besides, the cats love drinking the water as it comes out the faucet and later lands on the walls and knobs.

Anyway, this one morning, Cody was in a particularly aggravating mood. I call him my little "agitator and aggravator" because he likes to pester everyone. So in my tiny bathroom, I was having to serve as referee while trying to shower and get ready for work.

Later that morning before I left for work, I found the two of them had kissed and made up. They snuggled like they had as kittens. It was an "Ahhh" moment. I know I'm ridiculous, but it was so sweet I took the photo.

People who don't have animals don't understand that they all have their own personalities. I hope to share more about my cats and dogs and they wonderful elements they add to my life. Cody is the one in the photo who is looking at the camera.