[tallyho392]

i have this cat....castoff from a co-worker after she did all the hard work of bottle feeding him when orphaned...he is BIG, black, very,very in your face loving, very opinionated....and i adore him..as a youngstr he was strictly inside cat with another buddy, but the lure of outside and other barn cats made him inot a very happy inside/outside kitty.......he would come to the bathroom window at night to be let in to sleep with me....lots of head butting lovies,pats on the face from his little feet, snuggling under my chin to sleep, even with the small dogs on the bed.....his name is felix, but i call him "the sultan"..........he acknowledges few, human or animal, and i feel honored that he loves me............
well, got a couple of big rescue dogs last spring, and they do NOT, NOT like cats.....understandably, felix has been quite miffed....he would come in on occasion,and i would keep the dogs seperate, but he was obviously mad at their existence..he began spending days away...would return, regard me disdainfully as i called to him, and walk away...lately, if i followed, he would even run!..the past week or so, he would hesitate when i called him, and allow me to approach, but as soon as the other barn cats mobbed around ,he would be disgusted and stalk away...you could SEE it in his expression.....well, the 23rd, i encountered him alone, he came to me, i petted,then picked up......he purred and head butted just like old times..we had a nice lovey session...but, it ended too soon , he wanted down, and stalked off.....24th, same deal.........YESTERDAY, christmas, he actually seemd glad to see me!..he allowed picking up, loving, murmuring....then he went off to eat.....about an hour later, i hear horrendous meOOOWing at front dor (which we never use)..open the door, he looks at me, walks in as if he never left (big dogs are outside at this point)..i was sitting at the computer (reading coth) and he jumps up next to me, puts paw on my forearm as in days of old, gives me a slanted-eye smile, and purrs.....he sat cudding with me for several hours before asking to go out...........this morning, he was sitting in the driveway,staring at the kitchen window when i opened the curtains, within a few minutes, he was scratching at the front door!!!....now he is curled beside me,happily snoozing....
YEAH, my sultan is BACK!!!!..lol....christmas miracles DO happen!! seems he has at last forgiven me for introducing interlopers into his territory...he is SO personable, and SO smart, i really missed him....
just had to share, i know you all can relate....

[CVPeg]

Oh, now that's a lump of coal turned into a diamond!

How wonderful. Here's to many more years of togetherness.

[jen-s]

Fabulous!