TToT Part Two – A Tribute to the Rotten Cats
Today is the Rotten Cats’ birthday. It is. They are eight years old today.
To celebrate, please join me in a little TToT dedicated to my Rotten Boys. I figured I could probably come up with ten reasons why I’m thankful that they are part of our lives…
Humor. The Rotten Cats provide an endless resource for humor – whether it makes it on the blog or not. The Rotten Cats are just funny. I’m not going to link to every single funny Rotten Cat post that exists on my blog. Not everybody wants to read about that. But if you do like reading about funny things the Rotten Cats do, go to the tag cloud and click on Rotten Cats. Enjoy!
They like us. It’s true. These three cats are without a doubt the most affectionate and people-oriented cats I’ve ever met. They hang out where we hang out. They sleep in or under our beds. They greet us at the door – yes, just like a dog would. They are happy to participate in displays of affection, whether they are the givers or the receivers. When we first got them, I fully expected to end up with pets that pretty much ignored us. Definitely not like that at all.
No 5:00 AM potty walks. Or any other time. Cats do not need to go outside to do their business. So no matter the weather, while the dog people are out taking their doggies to the dog business place, we are all snuggled in our beds and happy that cats do their thing in boxes.
Warm feet and foot rubs. Ours, not theirs. Cats are great for warming cold toes. Lucky for us, our cats like feet. They particularly like feet that are wearing socks, but not shoes. If a sock-clad foot is in the near vicinity, at least one Rotten Cat will come for a foot rub. On a really good day, you might get a cat for each foot.
Stress relief. Hit Google and you’ll find all kinds of information about the health benefits of owning a pet. I can see the logic in these claims and I can definitely vouch for the stress relief part. It’s pretty hard to be in a bad mood when one of the Rotten Cats does something comical. And when you’ve had a bad day or don’t feel well, at least one of them will know it and curl up right next to you and provide some comfort.
They go bump in the night. Rotten Cats make a lot of noise at night. When they do, you can explain away unexplained noises as “just the cat.” So bumps in the night become less unnerving. If you don’t have cats making noises at night, well, then noises at night are just noises. And that’s just scary.
They are good company. When you’re home alone, Rotten Cats are great company. They leave you alone if you wish, but are more than happy to hang out with you and chirp at you every now and then. It’s also nice to have them to talk to. If you’re home alone and you talk out loud, people may think you’re a little nuts. If you are home alone and talk to Rotten Cats, then you’re just someone who talks to their cats. OK, that’s kind of the same, really.
They all have a very sweet attachment to Kidzilla. Not all pets enjoy children. We are lucky in this area. Cats One and Three in particular love to be around her. Cat One helps her get ready in the morning. Cat Three helps put her to bed at night. All three Boys love to curl up on whatever article of her clothing is on the floor or near her toys and go to sleep. Cat Two really does like her, but he does not like loud noise and, well, Zilla makes a whole lot of noise. So he likes her best from a distance. But he does hang out in the hallway at night when she goes to bed and he’s getting better being in the room where she is.
They are alive, healthy, and have a happy home. Our Rotten Cats were born to a stray Mamma Cat. Were they not found and taken in by a no-kill animal rescue organization, there’s no guessing how their lives would have turned out. But because someone was good enough to find them and get them into Peaceable Kingdom‘s care, they are here with us living fat and happy Rotten Cat lives.
They all have very distinct little personalities. Now here I will link to a post because if you want to get to know the Rotten Cats, you really need to go here. Just like people do, the Rotten Cats have very individual personalities and character traits. And yes, despite the fact that they are black, blacker, and blackest, they do have distinctive physical traits that set them apart as well.
Happy birthday, Boys!
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I am a dog person but I can appreciate cya. I’ve met some rather charming ones. I love the name Zilla and can’t wait to look at that animal place! And even tho I have a yard, getting up even to open the door is annoying!!!
These three really are pretty charming…but I try to pretend they really annoy me. OK, they do really annoy me. So it’s a good thing they’re charming. I’ve been very glad this month, especially with the super cold temps here, that I don’t have to walk a dog. I feel kinda sorry for the neighbors and their pups out there shivering.
No poop walks…the best!
I have long suspected skip has a kitty gene or two….now I am almost certain. HAPPY BIRTHDAYS ROTTEN BOYS!
That’s too funny. The Rotten Cats say thank you.
Happy birthday, Rotten Cats!
The Boys say thanks!
When I lived by myself, I was always so grateful to have the “it was just the cat” excuse when I heard a noise in the middle of the night. I simply had to hope I wasn’t awake enough to realize she was sound asleep next to me and couldn’t possibly have been the cause of the noise.
Being someone who talks to her cat can’t be as bad as someone who talks to herself. Can’t be! I got a cat so I wouldn’t seem crazy when I talk to myself!
Thanks for celebrating their birthday by giving the internet more cats!
LOL. True on all counts! Thanks, Tammy!
Happy Birthday Rotten Cats! Sweet post. I love that I can enjoy cats vicariously online without itching/sneezing/swelling up 🙂
Yeah, that’s a definite benefit, right? The Rotten Boys say thanks.
Nice! If more cats were like that, they would have more cat people in the world!
Maybe so! They really are pretty good cats.
I’m like Lizzi in that I can only enjoy cats from a distance. Your three are gorgeous, though!
They are handsome, aren’t they? They are some good-looking boys. 🙂
Happy birthday to your cats. Eight years old is just about how old my cat is. Everything you said is sooo true about cats. I can explain away the bumps in the night, they’re lovable and they reduce my stress. Although my cat is sometimes the source of that initial stress so she sometimes evens things out. Still she’s very adorable and she misses us when we go away and we miss her too. She’s just become a part of the family.
The cats say thank you. They had a pretty great birthday – lounging around sleeping all afternoon. So pretty much like every other day!
#11 They are also quite photogenic. Snowballs birthday is Friday. She will be 15. Oy!
They really are handsome. Maybe I should get them a kitty modeling career? Happy birthday early to Snowball from the boys! Fifteen? Wow!
AWWW Happy happy birthday, Rotten Cats. You almost made me like cats. I mean, sorry, it’s not that I don’t like cats, but I’m one that can’t breathe in a room with them. However, I think cats are so cool that I’ve been trying to convince my husband to get a hairless one for like 4 years now and he keeps saying no. Maybe he’s right. It’s not the same as the purring, making-noise buzzing of the gorgeous shedding ones….
The boys say thank you. They are taking a break from napping to watch the snow. Again.
Have you ever seen that episode of Friends where Rachel gets the hairless cat? Cracks me up – that thing is scary! The Hub is actually somewhat allergic to cats, but it was his idea to get them. He’s usually OK. Maybe these guys have magic non-sneezy hair?
The no poop walks are great, but ugh…the cat box! The only downside to cats, in my opinion, is the cat box. I clean it out every day, but it still has made everything in our office smell like kitty litter. No one in the family likes to go into our office. It’s a waste of a room in our house. We keep trying to think of a better solution for where to keep the box, so we can reclaim that room, but so far, we’ve got nothing.
I’m also fond of the “blame the noises in the house on the cat” approach to life. My kids are always asking, “What’s that noise?” and I’ll always say “one of the cats” even if I know the cats aren’t anywhere near the noise. It’s just easier that way.
Well, I definitely have a great benefit in the cat box area. The deal was that if we got cats, the Hub was the one in charge of it. Since I was still looking at childbearing possibility, we wanted no risk of toxoplasmosis. So that was the deal and it’s stuck. We have essentially given up our downstairs bathroom to the cat boxes because there just isn’t another room for said purpose. Kidzilla and I do not prefer to use that bathroom for toileting purposes, but if that’s the worst loss, it’s not awful. If we are ever able to sell this house and move, there will be a space for cat boxes included on the “must haves” list.
Every time I hear something at night, the Hub barely opens an eye and says “cat,” regardless of whether that’s really true. At least when I insist there’s a legit sound to investigate, he’ll get up and go.
Oh, those Rotten Cats. I love the picture of the two looking like a mirror image.
We are cat-sitting for the next two and a half weeks, and I fully endorse your claims of cats being good for lowering stress and also that they are very comical. Like sliding off of the backs of sofas and playing with stuffed chili peppers comical. Even my cat-allergic husband agrees.
I know you love the Rotten Cats. You have to promise to buy my Rotten Cat books when I get them published. (Hear me saying WHEN…) But you’re right- they are highly amusing. The Fab Hub cracks up every time one of them tries to run under the baby gate and bangs into it. It’s a wonder they have any brain function at all. And I can’t say it’s a bad thing to wake up to a warm and purring foot warmer on a cold morning.
[…] he is in charge of all things related to the cleaning of cats. That was the deal we struck when the Three Rotten Cats came to live with […]