When I first bought my house, I really wanted two kittens so that they would be able to play with eachother if I was not around. I was so excited and overwhelmed when I first saw their litter. There, on one of the last steps of the staircase, was a clump of fur made up of patches of different designs. All but one of the tiny kittens were sleeping together. The first one to catch my eye was the white cat that was chasing imaginary butterflies and jumping around completely crazy while the others slept. I knew I had to have him.

Next, I wanted a girl. There were two calicos and I decided to get the warmest and fluffiest of the two. As I picked her up, she melted in my arms and into my heart.

I had my two choices, but there was something that caught my eye. A cat with a fur coat that looked like he was wearing a tuxedo. I thought to myself that 3 cats would simply be too much, but he was handsome and I had to ask… can I have three? I would later tell people that it is because I have three floors in my house and so I could have one cat per floor, but honestly I’m not sure why I couldn’t leave him. He was just charming, sleeping there. Perhaps I liked the idea of balance – one crazy cat and one sleeping cat. Plus, since I was getting the ADHD kitten then I was sure that he would need a boy to play with. I was right.

The first night was so awkward. I thought to myself, what if they don’t like me and spend their time hiding somewhere? I had never had a cat before, and so many of my friend’s cats were loners when I was around. In order to get the white cat to calm down, I had to put him under the covers of my bed. The calico slept right next to me. The black cat slept at my feet. I was worried that he wouldn’t be fond of me… How surprised I would be.

I named them after Final Fantasy VI characters. Kupo is the white, hyperactive cat. Locke is the black gentleman cat. Celes is my calico, self appointed princess of the house.

Since I have such a huge house, we spent the first few weeks we getting to know it one floor at a time. Every night they slept on top of me. I would later count this as a mistake because now, two years later, they still sleep on top of me at times and I will wake up with a large weight crushing my chest and a fluffy tail in my face! After they became used to the whole house, they still did not like to be away from eachother and would meow when they became separated from eachother… or me!

Oh how they got in the way of my work! Sometimes I had to put them in a bedroom that was full of boxes just to get anything done. They were climbing on everything, and always sitting on my keyboard as I type.

Yet I have changed because of them. To have three cats follow me down 3 stories when I was just getting some water and then all the way up is love. To have them all cuddle up next to me as I lay down and purr at once is love. To be waken up 6 hours early because they just want my attention is selfish, but it is still love. And I love them back.

These days they give me a little more beathing room and as they grow up, they have relaxed. Still, Kupo is quite the attention getter and every visitor falls for him and so many people have wanted to take him for themselves! If only they knew how much of a pain he is!

I’m sure I would have amazing sleep, unscratched furniture, and a very quiet house if it wasn’t for their habits yet I am not sure that I would want to live a life without them. I’m not sure I was truly living life before they came into it. I know that I am now. They are my children and family, and I cannot live without them.