I never set out to have cats. I was perfectly happy living alone. I figured that if I ever decided to have a pet, it would probably be a dog (although cats are much easier to take care of).

One summer day I was looking out my window and I saw a very young kitten (about 5-6 weeks old) emerging from under my neighbor's rhododendron bush, just a few feet away from my house. A few seconds later, another kitten appeared. About 2 minutes later a third appeared. This was all taking place on the "dead" side of my neighbor's house (the side of the house that they never see, since the pathway to their back yard is on the other side).

Naturally, I had to go out and see if I could get them to play with me. Then I started feeding them. After a couple of weeks I asked my neighbors if they knew anything about the kittens (they didn't). I never did see the mother cat, and I don't know how the kittens ended up under my neighbor's rhodedendron. I kept feeding the kittens and eventually started to think about adopting them.

The kittens were intially very shy, but they started to get pretty comfortable with me, and they always would come running out whenever I went out to feed them. I gradually started feeding them closer and closer to my house and after a couple of weeks they started hanging out under my deck more often than in the bushes.

I eventually coaxed them up onto the deck and then one day they were brave enough to come in to my house (I had been leaving the deck door open). I don't remember at exactly what point I decided that they were now "my" kittens, and not just strays. Mike and Ike are now approximately 10 years old. Jerry disappeared one night when she was about 1 year old.

***update*** On 13-Jul-2004, Ike passed away as a result of liver disease. She was a great cat and we will miss her.