Ode to Charlie

Charlie is one cool cat. When we first got him three-plus years ago, he was a complete wild child. He'd been living on the streets before he was taken in, and he didn't really know how to behave himself inside a house. He had so much energy! Just watching him run at top speed back and forth through the house was enough to make your head spin! He also liked to attack anything (And I mean anything) that moved. We had to lock him out of our bedroom at night, because he'd attack our feet while we were sleeping. Then we had to child-proof the kitchen cupboard where we store his food, because he figured out how to get in there (and shred the bag of kibble). He really gave us a run for our money!

Nowadays, he's mellowed out quite a bit. He still has moments where he gets all wild-eyed and runs through the house or tries to attack our feet while we're walking. He still does certain things that he shouldn't, like occasionally scratching at the cushions on our dining room chairs, or jumping onto the kitchen counters. He's not perfect. And honestly, we were worried about how he would behave around Nikos.

Little did we know that Charlie has a soft spot for babies!

It is so amazing to see how he behaves around Nikos! Nikos thinks that Charlie is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and will practically throw himself out of my arms to get closer to the kitty. When Charlie walks by, Nikos wiggles and squirms and laughs and babbles and just gets SO worked up! He loves Charlie's soft fur. And he loves to try and pull on his tail or his ears or his whiskers. All of these things make Nikos squeal with delight! The crazy part is that if Gus or I grabbed Charlie's fur, or pulled his tail, or played rough in any way, the cat would fight back! He'd swat at us with his claws, try to bite us, or at the very least, run away! But Charlie is unbelievable tolerant with Nikos. He just stays put, and never fights back. He doesn't love having his fur yanked on, but I really think he understands that Nikos is just a baby and doesn't know any better. I think he also realizes that if he holds still, I am better able to extricate his fur/ears/tail from Nikos' grasp without causing further damage. But no matter what is going through his little kitty mind, I am so grateful for how he treats my baby. I love that cat, even if he can be a stinker at times!

P.S. Charlie always gets extra cuddles from me after he lets Nikos "play" with him. He is such a good kitty!