Weird facts about my cat Tobber...

For those of you that have not had the pleasure of meeting my cat Tobber, here twelve interesting facts about him that set him apart from the average cat and make him worth getting to know:

1. Tobber hates feet. He can tell the difference between feet petting him or hands petting him even with his eyes closed. If you dare to try to pet him or anything else with your foot, be prepared for a hearty slap of disapproval.

2. Tobber has been known to chase dogs off of our property, even a German Shepherd, and yet, he is terrified of lint. Go figure.

3. Tobber will eat almost anything, especially vegetables. His greatest joy in life is to sit in an empty chair at the table and watch us eat in hopes that we will feed him something or accidentally drop something on the floor (my dad does this often). If you happen to be preparing a food that Tobber loves, such as chopping vegetables, he comes running at the sound and purrs loudly by your feet hoping you will give him some vegetables to eat.

4. His favorite vegetables are sauteed peppers, but he also loves lettuce, celery, parsley, broccoli, strawberry tops, raw peppers, swiss chard, and spinach.

5. His favorite toy is a piece of suede lacing with a knot tied in the middle. If you throw it on the ground near him, he will play with it maniacally no matter what mood he is in, even from a dead sleep.

6. Tobber comes running to greet you when you get home like a dog. He follows you around the house when you come home and loves to race you down the stairs.

7. At random moments, Tobber will run through the house and up and down the stairs for no apparent reason, even going so fast that he will smash into walls and slide around corners.

8. Even though he was the meanest kitten I have ever seen when we adopted him, he grew into one of the most nurturing cats there is. He raised an abandoned four week old kitten (Senator), even cleaning his bottom, bathing him several times a day, carrying him around the house in his mouth, and running to his aid the minute he cried. He even bit me when I tried to give the Senator a bath because Senator cried so much. When Senator grew up, Tobber maintained more of a love/hate relationship with him, but one time when Senator got outside and hid in the blackberry bushes because the dogs chased him, Tobber tried to carry Senator into the house by his neck like he had done so often when Senator was a baby. He couldn't lift him, so he licked him on the head reassuringly and walked with him in small increments until they both reached the house, all the while growling menancingly at the dogs, who never mess with Tobber. It was the sweetest thing I have ever witnessed an animal do. When Senator disappeared, Tobber looked for him for days. They had a specific meow they would use with each other, and I would hear Tobber outside meowing for Senator using their little call, then he would come inside and dejectedly lay down in Senator's favorite spot. Whoever said animals don't have feelings has never had a cat like Tobber, and anyone who thinks cats don't really care about anything other than themselves could learn a lot by watching him.

9. Tobber knows when people are sad or sick and tries to cheer them up. If I cry, Tobber comes running and lays with me and purrs. If I don't feel good, he lays at my feet and stays with me for hours. One time, I had a bad asthma attack and collapsed in the living room of our house in Aloha. I couldn't stop coughing, and the coughing took so much out of me that I could barely move. Jake was asleep with the bedroom door shut across the house, and Tobber raced through the house and slammed into the door as hard as he could. Then, he sat and meowed very loudly (his usual meow is very soft), and Jake came out of the room. Tobber then took off through the house meowing, and Jake got me and took me to the hospital. A few weeks ago, my mom was in intense pain from a kidney stone, and Tobber was visibly upset, rubbing his head affectionately on her foot (and he hates feet!) and looking at the rest of us like, "Do something!"

10. Tobber is very nice to kids. He seems to have this ability to know the difference between kids and adults. For adults, if you even pet him the wrong way you may get a slap or a bite, but I have seen kids pull his whiskers and ears, slap him in the face, yank his tail, and pet him roughly or backwards, and all he does is purr and wait for a chance to quietly slip away. I have never even seen him hiss at a child.

11. Tobber has the cutest kitten face I have ever seen. He is so expressive, you always know what he's thinking. He is super fun to play with, because his eyes widen to the size of saucers and his paws almost blur they move so fast.

12. Tobber likes to watch TV. He especially likes basketball games. I would think he would like shows about animals, but he has sat through an entire Blazer game before without taking his eyes off the screen except for commercials. What an awesome cat.

If you actually read all of these things about Tobber, I'm really impressed and thank you for taking the time to learn a little about him. He is a very special cat.