Gandykins

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Gandalf turns 8 today! I'll gift him with a can of tuna tonight. If I had a pointy birthday hat at home, I'd put it on him for photos, but he'd probably bat it right off anyway.

Things I love about my first-ever cat:

♥ He sleeps next to me almost every night. Last winter I made him a special fleece cushion for this purpose, but now he prefers to take up an entire body pillow.

♥ He is "talkative." For a while after we brought Peach home, he was quiet, and I was afraid I'd never hear his conversational meowing again. But he got his voice back!

♥ He requires that strangers allow him to sniff them before trying to get close to him. After approval, he sort of bows and presents his head for petting, which caused Debra to give him the nickname "Sultan."

♥ At mealtimes, he enjoys sitting at the table like a person. If I forget to pull out his chair, he makes his displeasure known.

♥ When I'm upset, he senses it and comes to be with me right away.

♥ He spends part of each morning basking in the sun, even in the middle of summer, even though he's a black cat.

♥ He loves cheese. Milk holds no interest for him, but when I open a bag of shredded cheese, I have to practically stand in the refrigerator and avoid eye contact to keep him from noticing.

I know this makes me sound like a crazy cat person, but I'm thankful for Gandalf and hope for at least another 8 years with him! :)