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get to know the gremlins

Scout was my first introduction to cats, as my parents got him a little less than a year before I was born. He was a black cat, unfortunately declawed, and he had a lot of personality. He'd nip me when I'd pet him too much, as I didn't know yet how to read the body language of a cat. Often, I miss Scout. I don't have a picture at the moment to post of him, but just imagine a black cat. That's Scout.

Raven, she/her (7 years, RIP 11/25/17) My little Raven is still with me, in spirit. And it helps that her sister, Luna, is still around but I'll get to her in a moment. After Scout passed away, I was lucky enough to have the chance to get a kitten. My mom's friend found a litter of three in a barn near her house; a tortoiseshell and two black & whites. The first picture I saw of the three of them, I remember thinking and saying that the tortie looked kind of ugly. Like a rat. Instead, I wanted one of the black & whites. But when I got there, and saw that tiny little tortie who looked out of place among her siblings. Well. It hit too close to home & child me fell so hard. Raven became my child. Maybe I'll dedicate a whole post to her, and I will actually, because I could go on. If and when I do, I'll link that blog post here too so if anyone reads this, they can read more about Raven. She was a very special cat to me.

Luna, she/they (14 years) Oh, little Luna. Luna was one of the other two black & whites in Raven's litter, making them sisters. They didn't like each other very much which ironically mirrored how I hate my human sister. Luna did sadly experience a brief period of neglect via my parents just sort of letting her slip through the cracks of care. Beyond the absolute basics, she wasn't given much else. After Raven's passing, I quickly took Luna into my own heart fully. Now she's 14, or at least close to 14, years old and very well cared for. Every day I comb her hair, giving her special attention as she needs to feel special to maintain the balance of the household. Luna grew to love her threee siblings, although it took time. And also it kind of took getting three cats. But. That's like a deep lore blog post I might save for later. Luna really is such a special cat, I love her to bits.

Fig, they/she (3 years) This cat is the smartest cat I know. She has figured out how to open doors, not just like the ones that a cat could like sort of actually open like you know the ones. The actual handle ones. I'm talking knobs. We have knobs in our house (lol) and Fig has figured out how they work. I've watched her try to use her little body as leverage while her front paws desperately try to grasp the knob and turn it. Almost as if she knows she lacks thumbs & it's what prevents her from opening our doors. My moms bedroom door is busted so she has figured out that if she rams the door at a high enough speed (or gets her brother to ram it) it will open. She's very good at treat puzzles. I got her b/c my mom and I went to an adoption event and she fell asleep in my arms. It was aronud Valentine's Day & my mom was just like "well, I got that kitten". And suddenly, Fig is here. She was OBSESSED with Luna, which made it hard for me to let Luna adjust. As with all my cats, their stories are very intertwined, because Fig was so obsessed with Luna, that I did argue that we should adopt one more kitten. For Fig.

Eda, any pronouns (3 years) Thus, Eda came into the picture. At first, we were looking at a polydactyl black & white female who had a polydactyl brother. But while we visited them the first time, the foster pointed out a little kitten who was meowing so loudly for my attention. She wanted pets. Lola, Eda's OG name, had been in a litter of six found near a dumpster. She was the smallest & the only one to pull through. I was a sucker & convinced my mom to take home Eda. Funny enough, this is the second time in my life I've had the chance to own a polydactyl cat and passed it by (I hope one day to remedy this). Now Eda is fucking huge. I mean it. Look at her. She's like 17 pounds or something, and she's not even fat. She enjoys being lazy, eating while lying down and drinking while lying down. I once spent $300 at the emergency vet b/c I was worried about her and the vet tech there had to gently tell me there was nothing wrong with her. I did conclude that she was just being that DRAMATIC. Goodness me. She also will hide under my bed so that I will let her sleep in my room (I will rotate who sleeps in my room with me & Luna, sometimes giving Luna the peace & quiet of a night alone with her dad).

Michael, he/they [aka Poe, or Michael-Poe] (2 years) Michael is the baby. He's named after Michael from Lost Boys, with a slight slight influence from The Magnus Archives, tho his name is also a weird one b/c well.... my mom adopted him for herself sort of. The people we adopted from approached her & asked if she wouldn't adopt this little black cat with one ear who'd been to three events and still, no one wanted him. My mom said yes before I even knew it. She wanted more input on his name because of this (backstory lore etc etc) and so Michael is also sometimes called Poe, after Edgar Allen Poe. Other things Michael is called often: Mister Sir, little terror, Dennis, the Menance, and Brother Dubious (after brother dubious, if you don't know brother dubious rip to you). He's a cry baby, and is the most talkative cat I've ever known. He talks to himself and loves eeping all the time. If I close the bathroom door for privacy, he will scratch and cry as if i've locked him in a small cage in the dark and he's suddenly dying. According to my parents, when I'm at work he will cry out for me and cry, looking for me. It's sweet, but I do worry about seperation anxiety. Right now, all of my kids just sort of have me looking out for them and I'm very excited to one day (hopefully soon) move in with my best friend in the whole world.