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Kitchell is our family's cat. He is about 8 years old and has belonged to Lee since he was about 1. He was abused as a kitten and is still skittish around men he does not know. Women he loves. We're not sure what breed he is, but he looks to have some Persian and Siamese in him. He's got the most beautiful blue eyes. He loves to go outside all year 'round. During the winter his excursions are usually brief, but he still craves the fresh air. He's not too sure of the latest addition to our household, Claire. She's two now and steadier on her feet, so he's not as quick to run from the room upon sighting her entering said room. He even lets her pet him now. He loves ice cream. While he tolerates other cats he doesn't like them trying to take over his territory. We've had a few stray cats around over the last three years, a couple were just kittens left out on bitter cold winter nights. Lee and I, being compassionate people, would let the kittens inside to get warm. Kitchell would allow it until they tried to use something of his - food, litter box, toys, bed, etc. He still has his claws and is not afraid to use them. He's gotten into scrapes and fights more than once. Sometimes late at night we'll be in our room and hear him growl and we know the fur is about ready to fly if we don't act fast. Your typical cat, Kitchell gives and receives affection on his terms. He loves to be brushed.

In addition to Kitchell, we have two parakeets: Blue Boy and Greenie (we call her Meanie Greenie because she yells at Blue Boy all the time). Kitchell does real well with the parakeets. My husband has trained him so well that he doesn't even hunt birds outside. He stalks, but he doesn't hunt. The parakeets are about 8 years old, too. I'm not sure what their longevity is. We had two cockatiels for a while, Jack and Jill, but they were so very messy that after we had Claire we had to return them to their original owners. We just couldn't risk her getting into their mess.