Things I Love About My Cats

People often ask which of the cats is my favorite. My answer is always the same. Each and every one makes my heart happy in an entirely different way. I can't imagine my life without a single one of them.

Specifically, I love:

Henry's gorgeous mandarin butterscotch fur with eyes to match ... Big kissable pink nose ... Magnificent whiskers ... Tummy, soft and downy as a baby chick's (just don't think about petting it ) ... "Superior being" attitude ... ... Henry VIII and Buddha imitations ... "Frenchness" ... Handsomeness incarnate. He should be in ads.

Sammy's sleek, black velvet coat ... Long tail flourished grandly like a punctuation mark ... Southern accent and three-syllable meow .. Supersized purr .. Tail up, high-stepping show cat trot ... Preferred sleep position -- rear paws pulled over his head with sly sideways peek. Is there anything in the world more adorable than a little black cat curled up asleep?

Koko's wide eyed owl-cat stare ... Really Big Lips forming a big white "O" -- no one pulls off righteous indignation better ... Single white whisker in bas relief against a midnight backdrop ... Stubby little tail thumping on wood floors ... "I see a bird, Mama" meow ... Cheek caressing my cupped palm ..... Warmth against my side (or behind my knees, or on my feet) at night ... Soft snoring ... Obsessive-compulsive bathing and litter-box scratching.

Nettie's mohawk standing on end along her spine .. Orange patches on her rear foot and under her front leg -- just one chromosome away from an orange tabby ... Heart-shaped face, a sweet complement to her tart tortie attitude ... Head resting against my shoulder, gazing up at me adoringly ... Favorite sleep position: Weight curled on my hip night after night ( I'll probably need hip replacement one day) ... Proud Egyptian sphinx profile.

CJ 's "Mardi Gras mask" facial markings ... Thick, multi-colored coat ... Teeny suggestion of a tail ... Splotchy nose and big, wide set eyes like a rag doll ... Loping bunny-run, slipping through the house like "The Shadow" ... Shy nature ... Head bowed, by my side, as she silently waits for me to pet her ... Luxuriant back rubs against the jute rug.

Ernie's sweet baby-face ... Big white belly ... Crooked tail ... Old-man's pigeon-toed gait ... Dainty meow belying his behemoth girth ... Massive multi-toed paws gently patting my face ... Forever-kittenish playful nature ... Favorite sleep position: on his back, paws up in the air ... Denial of his considerable size; he constantly tries to fit in teensy boxes and perch on narrow ledges ... Complete and total adoration of Roxie.

Roxie's close-set "I Dream of Jeannie" almond eyes ... Prissy little walk, claws clicking like high heels as she sashays through the house ... Circular tabby markings ... Warm, maternal nature ... Unabashed adoration of Ernie which he fervently returns ... Pause for permission before jumping up on furniture ... Body stretched out like a super-hero in flight when she is picked up (all she needs is a cape).