100 Pounds of Cats and Eight Dog Feet

I am single, but I don't live by myself out here in the Texas Hill Country. I share my home with twelve cats and two small dogs. Thye are my fourteen children. For thirteen years I had a thirteenth cat named Bobo. Bobo died just a few days ago. I don't know how old she was because she was a grown cat when she showed up at my former home in 1993. Bobo had six kittens, and I kept them all. I still have three of them: Arthur, Caesar, and Taliesin. They are twelve years old.

My oldest cat is named Jihan. I don't how old she is because my sister bought her in the late 1980's, kept her for a few years, and gave her to me. Jihan is an Egyptian Mau, a domesticated wild cat the Egyptians have been keeping as pets for over 3000 years. She is gray with black spots.

Fauve, whose name in French means wildcat, is well-named. She is a large, hot-tempered brown tabby and is part Maine Coon. She is thirteen years old. My other seven cats are much younger. Three of them: Zorro, Carmella, and Dulcinea, are brothers and sisters. They are about six years old. Dulcinea is black, her brother and sister are black and white.

My four youngest cats are the kittens of Zorro and Carmella. They are about five years old. Mordred is a small black cat. Morgan, Vivienne, and Merlin are black and white.

I have two dogs who live in the house with the cats and me. Frodo is a fat little black pug. He is two years old. His best friend is Arwen, a four pound Chihuahua. She is seven months old. Arwen and Merlin and Vivienne are good friends. Most of the other cats tolerate Arwen fairly well, except for Fauve, who hates all dogs. Tal (Taliesin) and the puppy fight all the time. He beats the daylights out of the fiesty little dog, but she keeps coming back for more. Later, when I have time, I will add photos of my fourteen children to this post.