Dead Cat Walking

About 10 years ago, I inherited a cat. A skinny, black cat named Brandi.

I remember having (many) cats at my dad's house, but my mom didn't like them so we didn't have them at home. I didn't really think I'd want one when I'd moved out either, but Dylona didn't want Brandi any longer and I thought "how hard can it be?"

I was living with Dylona at the time, Brandi always curled up and purred at the end of my bed and Makena kinda liked her. So, when I moved out, Brandi came with us. Shortly after that, we we given another cat. A fat, black cat named Tink.

I should say that Tink didn't start off fat. He was given to us when he was only a few weeks old and he was very, very small. His mom didn't want her kittens and Makena wanted a kitten of her very own. Makena named her kitten Princess Tinkerbell. When I was out of town a few years later, Dylona had to take Princess Tinkerbell to the vet for us and was told that she was a he. Great story (I still laugh today) and a big surprise to us all. That day, Princess Tinkerbell became Tink. Unfortunately we lost him to liver cancer a few years ago.

Tink was our cuddly, fat, black cat. Brandi has never really been quite so cuddly. I usually refer to her as 'bitch cat.'

Tink had his flaws, but he was cuddly. Brandi on the other hand...

• She likes to be up high - on top of the fridge (gross), on the top shelf of the closet (getting hair on my sweaters), or anywhere high up that she's not supposed to be. Places that drive me crazy.
• She has allergies - yep, a cat with allergies! She has Fall AND Spring allergies of course. Meds...vet bills...meds. Jamie doesn't want to spend another penny on her - he's less of a 'cat person' than I am.
• Along with the allergies, she also has food allergies. It took me years (years!) to find the food that would make her throw up the least amount. It, of course, is not one of the less expensive foods.
• She likes to be on the furniture. That's a no-no at our house!
• She likes to get on the counter. A HUGE no-no at our house!! Bread or food can't be left on the counter as she'll jump up the minute your back is turned.
• She likes to chew on expensive leather - shoes, bags, etc.
• She likes to lay on top of the book you are trying to read.
• About a year ago she decided that she didn't want to crap inside of the litter box but just outside of it. Thankfully the box is in our garage, but it still ticks me off...and she knows it.

Sometimes she can be sweet and like to cuddle, but usually just with me. She doesn't really like to be picked up. Every so often she'll try to sleep on Makena's bed, but Makena usually shuts her out of her room. Brandi will go to Jamie as a last resort, and he sometimes feels sorry for her and pets her. Then she'll bite him - she's like that.

Jamie was NOT happy to find out that cats can live well into their 20's. Brandi is 14 now and I think she'll hold on as long as she can just to spite him.

This morning I not only found her on my new chair, but she had thrown up on it. I ran down the stairs, she ran the other direction. Brandi may not see 15.