Happy Birthday, Annabelle!

Today my sweet girl turns 3 years old! It's hard to believe that she has only been with me 2 1/2 years, it seems like she's always been there! So, today it's all about sweet Annabelle. 

Annabelle is hands down the troublemaker of my four cats. She has an inherent ability to sniff out trouble. From sleeping in the clothes dryer, to dashing out into the hallway every chance she  gets, to becoming stranded atop a very high bookshelf, Annabelle likes adventure! 

 

  But, she's also my cat who loves to snuggle and has quite a sweet little purr. She follows me from room to room and asks (demands) that I pet her and scratch her chin. 

 

 

 We have a morning routine whereby she comes running when the alarm goes off, waits outside the shower for me to finish so she can lick the tub, and then retreats to her special corner to wait for her favorite time of the day... treat time.

She is very much a girl after my own heart in that she will try any food, even if it's just once. She has been known to eat hummus, pesto, pretzels, kool-aid, corn on the cob, garlic greens, and maple syrup. She doesn't ask whether she can have a bite, however, and often times I'll come around the corner after returning to the kitchen to grab something, and she'll already have my dinner in her mouth. Just last night she stole a shrimp from my plate... apparently she is a fan of crispy orange shrimp. 

 

 

 

 Annabelle is into exercise. She is by far my most active cat, despite her robust stature. :-) She chases bugs, laser pointers, and sometimes things only she can see. She likes wrestling with her feline siblings, and has been known to give me a love nip or two. :-) These past two summers have been especially exciting as we have had pigeon babies on our porch and she chatters non-stop at Momma pigeon and the babies. 

 

  Annabelle was not an easy cat when she first came to live with me. I got her from a friend because of her penchant for scratching and biting any living thing... especially hands and feet. Of all the cats I've fostered/adopted, she took the longest to train. She was so wild at the beginning that she slept in my bedroom sequestered from the other cats, while I slept on the couch. I was actually afraid she would attack me in my sleep. I spent two months sleeping on the couch, and it took seven months before I felt comfortable letting her off a leash around my other cats. I remember warning friends that if she were to bite them, they shouldn't pull back because she would break the skin. But, we worked hard at understanding the word "no," and slowly but surely she became an amazingly tender cat. 

 

 I love her more than words can express, and can't imagine what I would do without her entertaining antics. So, Happy Birthday, sweet girl, I look forward to many more years of hilarity with you in my life!