Cosmo!

Our poor neglected little kitty. Let me tell you about our "baby"--our little Coshmeow who has gone from the spoiled only child to the filthy feline who gets kicked out the door far too often.

It all started on our honeymoon... no, actually it all started when I was 7 and fell in love with this really ugly cat that my family nicknamed "Skunk." His real name was Snicklefritz and he was MY pet who would sleep on my bed and I could call my own. Both of my siblings had their own cats for years (they were supposedly "family cats" but they each only liked one person in the world. Fish loved Tammy and Bee loved Shad. Finally, I had my own cat who loved me.

Well, I don't really know how it happened, but when it came time to move from the house we were living in in Arizona back to our home in Colorado, my little Snicklefritz did not make it into the car. And when we got home my personal cat was merely a memory. Sad. To make matters worse, my previous family pet, Snicklefritz the Rabbit, that my family wouldn't let me bring to AZ had been given away and eaten as dinner. So, now I was left without a cat or my pet rabbit. Very sad.

So, back to Cosmo. I had all these built up cat issues suppressed inside and so on our honeymoon we saw the cutest Garfield cat that I fell in love with. Mike and I decided we didn't want a cat--or any house pet--so we let it go. But, since that day I wanted a cat! and Mike was very loving and supportive of this "phase."

Well, about a year later, Mike and I were coming home from a date when this really friendly cat walks into our garage and lets us pet it. I took full advantage of this opportunity to hold a cat, so we "borrowed" him for the evening and I nicknamed him "Insta-purr" because he would purr as soon as we'd touch him... to make an already very long story not as long as it could be. The apparently-stray cat kept returning to our front porch so finally, I had him bathed, de-balled, immunized and adopted.

He then was known as and referred to as our baby--especially when we couldn't get pregnant. I would carry him around the house, he would go on walks with us, I'd take him to the "kitty spa" each month (our kitchen sink), he would sleep in our bed every night, and I'd cuddle with him first thing after work each day. He was a very shy and impersonal cat who would only emerge from under the bed or garage when he knew no one but Mike or I were around. Slightly spoiled and pampered.

But, kitty Cosmo life has changed. Alas, Cosmeow has had a very rude awakening. Now, he is lucky to get fed, to have any brushing or baths at all, to get his de-worming medicine, and to be pet--by anyone who is willing to give him the time of day. Furthermore, I think he is very aware that if he were to touch my little Jameseys that I would chop his head off.

Alas, after all of that wordiness, I think pictures explain it best:

And then his life took a dramatic turn...

The next picture will be of a bite out of Cosmo's ear because James used it as a teething toy. Regardless, James absolutely Loves him and I think deep down Cosmo likes it too!