Contrast Essay

                  You could say my house has gone to the felines.Eight felines to be exact.Some people in my town would also tell you theres a giant neon sign above my front door that blares"sucker" big and bright for all the cats to see.Both statements would be accurate.We were a normal human family of four just two and a half years ago.Then here came the stray and the next and the next...you get the idea.All eight of these cats are blood related in one way or another.Physically they look very similiar.Some even look like they could be twins.Thats where the similarities end.There are defiantly eight very distict personalities from each cat.
                  First off theres Momma Kitty.She started this entire mess.She is the elder cat.And the mother,grandmother and great-grandmother to all the rest.She's a beautiful calico cat with an auro of power.She is layed back,but takes no crap from the youngsters.If she thinks they need to be cleaned by God she will hold them down with one giant paw and clean.If they dare to try to get away she uses two paws tell she feels thier clean.Yes she acts like everyones mother and the other cats respect her.She is also what I call a grateful cat.After years in the outside woods,in the cold,fighting to live and to eat she is loyal and protective of "her" family.
                 Next there is Clepa and Penelope.I speak of them together because physically thses two could be twins.Heck even I have to see thier eyes to be sure whos who.They are both heavy,black and white cats with an identical walk.Thats where it ends.Clepa is a bit older,came from living outside in the winter monthes under a train car with two litters of kittens.One being hers and the other being abandoned when the mother died.She cared for both those litters like they were all her own.She is extremly motherly,purrs most the time and could lay in  a persons arms all day just like a baby.Penelope is a different story.She is what I call my counter cat.She won't get off the counter if you drag her.And forget holding her.She growls under her breath and wants nothing to do with being held.The only time she'll move from the counter and have anything to do with you is when you turn the kitchen faucet on so she can drink water from it.
               Then there are the three sisters,Bashful,Baby and Rhonda.All sisters all different.First Bashful.She hid under my couch for over a week after we rescued her wouldn't even come out to eat.She's a very pretty cat,calico like her mother Momma Kitty.She will hiss at anything she doesn't like but if it comes back at her she runs and hides.She likes to act like shes tough as nails but truthfully shes a big scardy cat.Baby is darker colored with the "M" mark for Maine Coon on her head.She's a very smart cat.My daughter has actually been able to teach her tricks similiar to the ones a dog would do.Shes very loyal,playful and dare I say the smartest cat in the house.And then theres Rhonda.She was actually the first kitten we rescued and brought home.She looks a lot like Baby her sister with the same "M" on her head.She is the most layed back,sweetest,kindest cat I think I've ever known.She purrs constantly.Nothing upsets her.I honestly think that cat wouldn't have the heart to hurt another living thing even in defense of her own life.
              Now we are down to Lady and Peanut.Lady has long, white and almost blackish hair.She is the  most mysterious one of the bunch.She's absolutley terrified of everything and everybody.She actually has to live in our downstairs  because she so afraid of all the other cats and us.You can't hold her,pick her up or even look at her very long.But before you feel to sorry for her our downstairs has carpet,heat,windows is a completly liveable space.Our eldest daughter actually does live down there with Lady.On rare occasion she sleeps in bed with her,but for the most part shes a loner even though shes not really alone.And last but certainly not least theres Peanut.She is a tiny cat with more long wirey hair than actually body wieght and big eyes.Now this is a cat with spunk.What she lacks in size she more than makes up for in courage and inner strengh.Shes also a major snuggler.Every night I say,"Peanut mommy's going to bed come on" and every night like clock work here she comes.Ready to nead on my nightgown rub her face aganist mine and find her snuggly spot on the bed for the night.
              Many times  these furry family members have brought me  to the edge of insanity.More than once I have knocked one off the counter,tripped on more than one in the dark of night and many times cussed under my breath at the cost of yet another vet bill or food bill!Not to mention the cost of living with so many different personalities under one roof.But the loyality of being there when you feel the world is aganist you,laying next to you're sick child all night guarding them for you while you catch sleep or licking what they percieve to be a wound on your husbands head.When they do all these things it makes me think humans could learn a lot from theses cats on how to treat other human beings on this earth.And I love my family both furry and not.