Alex

So, I've had this post ready to go for a couple weeks now. For some reason I am having problems uploading pictures and definitely did not want to post this one without a picture of my bud Alex. But, every time I try to upload a picture I lose my Internet connection. No idea why....I so don't know about the technical computer stuff. I'm looking for a solution and when I find it I will definitely put up a picture of him.

We have a cat named Alex.

Alex came into our lives in the Fall of 1996. He is coming up on 13 years old and the fact that most people are surprised when they find out we have a cat has made me a tad bit remorseful lately. Sadly, he is the forgotten member of our family.

Alex is a stunningly beautiful cat. He has incredibly soft, long hair and the markings of a Siamese - dark tipped white hair with darker ears, dark tail, a dark patch on the back of his neck and the most gorgeous blue eyes ever. He is small, usually weighing in around 9 pounds. It's not uncommon for us to hear "She is a beautiful cat" from first time viewers.

And, no, the she above is not a typo - Alex is male, but his mannerisms and looks often confuse people into thinking that he is a she. His nicknames around the house are Lexi , Ally and Alice. Alex wouldn't hurt a fly....literally. He cannot catch a fly. He tries - he stalks them and jumps after them and bats them with his paw, but he is not a hunter. He has never caught a mouse, a bird, a snake, a lizard....he is not a hunter. Which, as I look back, has been a blessing. Growing up we always had cats that would proudly bring their kill back to the house and leave us the one or two pieces that they don't eat. So glad I don't have to deal with that, however, we do have a mole that lives in our flower beds that I would love to see gone!

As I was writing the above paragraph, I do recall a time when we lived in Bellingham that we caught Alex standing proudly over a dead mouse. I believe we took a picture because neither Josh nor I could believe that he actually caught it himself. We did have another cat at the time, as well as two dogs, so it is possible that they helped him out a little so kind of boost his manliness for a while. Didn't really help though, since he just sat and stared at the dead mouse at his feet for a while, not having a clue what to do with it.

So, why has Alex been the forgotten member of our family. Now, I believe he has always been overshadowed by either other animals or people. When we got him as a kitten, we had also just gotten our first Greyhound, Nick. Just a few months later we adopted our second Greyhound, Dixie. We had a cat named Cora when we got Alex, but sadly she disappeared. Later we adopted Levi from the Farmer's Market. He was another beautiful cat, but he was crazy! He was the neighborhood bully, so we were always having to take care of his issues. He also beat up on Alex a lot, so I'm sure that he was happy when Levi left. So, Alex has outlasted all of our animals. He's kind of like the unlikely winners on Survivor....sit back and do nothing until you get to the finals and then wow everyone with your personality...

And then, in 2003, Laine came along. Alex was okay with her until she started to move around. Neither Laine or JJ have ever done any of the horrible things that kids can do to cats - the tail pulling, patting, chasing...but he doesn't like to be bothered, so he made a home for himself under our bed. It was his routine for years to make his first appearance of the day when the kids were asleep. It was then that we often heard..."I didn't know you had a cat" as he sauntered out of the bedroom.

Alex still spends most of his days under our bed. He now likes to sleep with Laine, jumping up on her bed as soon as we sit down for story time. And, he even now will come up and cuddle with JJ and enjoys his attention for a limited time. He is an incredibly patient and sweet cat.