Meet Sam and Howie

Regular readers of this blog know that I lost both of my kitty boys last year -- Mikey in August and Joey on Christmas Day -- after more than a decade together. After a couple of months of trying to live in a feline-free house, I went out to Multnomah County Animal Services in Troutdale and picked out a couple of cuties who needed homes.

Today marks the four-week anniversary of welcoming Sam (who is 5-ish) and Howie (who is 1-ish) into my home, so I figured it was time for you all to meet them too. Sam is the brown one who looks like someone splashed a little white paint on his nose. Howie (aka Howie Kazowie the Feline Cannonball) has more white on him and is about the softest cat you've ever met. He also has the less-attractive habit of rising EARLY in the morning with the hopes of getting someone to play with him -- a hope that is pretty regularly dashed, as neither Sam nor I are early risers.

I'm thinking about grooming Sam into becoming a bookstore cat -- he definitely has the right personality -- but I'd have to figure out the commuting thing. I wouldn't want him to spend his nights at the store alone, but I have a hard time seeing him on a leash crossing Broadway with me. Maybe I'll have to get one of those cute little pet strollers that Furever Pets sells so he can travel with me to the store. It's possible Howie could grow into a bookstore cat as well, but right now he has just a tad too much kitty energy. Maybe I'll take them down to Beach Books in Seaside to learn from Oz, the world's best bookstore kitty.

Mikey and Joey left some pretty big paws to fill, but Sam and Howie are working hard toward doing just that!