So last week you learned 5 of my pets have quirky ways. Who doesn’t, right? But that’s only half of it. There’s still 5 more of my crew who are no less quirky than the others. Trust me here. For instance…

Fat Jack is a perfect example of a dichotomy. On the one hand he’s a lover boy and on the other he’s Mr. Hyde from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The boy has a hint of evil just below the surface and it emerges precisely when he’s being Mr. Lover Boy.

You see, Jack enjoys grooming my other cats. He’ll snuggle beside someone and begin licking with his painfully rough sandpaper tongue. But it must feel good because they let him. He licks around the head and face, their eyes closed, basking in his tongue massage and all’s well with the world. For about 3 minutes.

Then out of nowhere Mr. Hyde appears. Jack attempts to mount whichever cat, male or female (he’s not picky). He quickly becomes overstimulated and starts neck biting like a vampire. Next thing I hear are cries of discomfort so I shoo Jack away. Now don’t get me wrong; they still come back for more so I can only surmise the pleasure is worth the pain.

Then there’s sweet Savannah. She’s my amputated-tail-kitty, sometimes mistaken for a small bobcat. Savannah’s quirk is her penchant for tripping me. She constantly zigzags in front of me like a slalom skier. No doubt I’ll one day be writing my blog sporting a leg or arm cast, thanks entirely to Savannah.

Skye is my most feral feline. Her quirk: she’ll brush against my leg at mealtime but won’t let me pet her unless I sneak a quick one while she’s busy eating. She allows my brazenness because we both pretend it happened by accident. Skye is cross eyed so I can imagine what I look like to her, which might explain why she runs when I enter the room.

Dash makes me laugh. I’d originally relocated him as a feral ‘Career Cat’ where he and another feral kept rodents under control. But 3 months later he was clawing at their door to go inside. He’d fooled me with his degree of feral-hood and since the guardians were allergic, I foolishly took him home to foster.

You guessed it, I adopted this diamond in the rough. Dash’s quirk is that whenever I’m on my feet he looks at me wide-eyed as though I’m a stranger. But when I’m in bed, he’s like a leech. I’m a side sleeper so Dash takes his place lying on my hip and waist, securing himself by hugging me tight. The boy even refuses to move when I attempt to roll over. Yes, he adores me when I’m prone but as soon as I rise, you know who dashes from the room.

That leaves Mango, my newest addition and first domestic kitten. I’m still discovering her quirks but one is that she’s a glutton, just like Jack. Gotta watch that girl or I’ll have 2 tubbies in the mix. Mango cries the loudest and longest for her meals, then can’t wait to sneak food from the others. I love that she’s always in my lap when I’m in my office. Otherwise she’s the snoozing queen. I’m not even certain what color her eyes are, they’re closed so much.

So there you have it, friends; 10 furry beings each with their own personality — often adorable, sometimes annoying, but always entertaining. And I get to be the beneficiary of all their quirky, wonderful ways.