We have three house cats, two of them are from the same litter born on the farm next to us last spring and resemble the cats in the first two stock photos below. My wife named the one on the left Marco Polo, because he was the first of the kittens to venture from the woods all the way to our doorstep. The other she named Puff. We have an older cat, much like the bottom photo, whom we call Pookie.

There were two other kittens in last spring’s litter, one is almost identical in appearance to Marco. He would like to come into the house, too, but he is only interested in the shelter of the house and the interesting things inside. The people – he avoids having anything to do with them. Marco is the only one of our cats who enjoys being picked up. The others will get up on our laps, but only when they feel like it and on their own terms .

Like the old people in this house, Pookie has to take a couple of pills each day, one in the morning, the other in the evening. Once he swallows the pill, my wife gives him a few kitty treats as a reward. Puff has this process figured out and is always Johnny-on-the-spot to seek his share of the treats.

This morning my wife said “It’s time to give Pookie his pill,” and Puff understood the words Pookie and pill. He got down from the window sill at one end of the house, walked all the way to the other end and jumped up on the bed where Pookie was sleeping.

He was out of luck this time, though, as my wife had not anticipated finding two cats waiting for her and only had enough treats for one.

Sometimes I think I could do a blog that was only about cats.