Zoom Zoom

With 7 furry bodies around our home, inside and out, a common site is a blur of fur as one or more animals run through our field of vision.

While in the kitchen, a blur runs up the stairs. If the blur also makes a thumping noise on the steps, it's Maya - she's heavy and runs like a horse. Often while eating breakfast one of the cats runs past us on the left...up the stairs - to chase a gecko, to claim the chair at the top of the stairs, or to claim the lounge on the top floor. If we look up from down below, often we'll see a little face peering through the railing, checking to see if anyone is in hot pursuit of the blur.

After breakfast Miguel takes the plate of fruit and vegetable scraps to compost in the front garden. Minina knows this routine and will come out of nowhere and run after him, hoping to slip out the front door - there goes a black blur.

Sitting on the couch, a grey blur goes past the front door, and then there is a whine - it's Loco, who spotted (or thought he spotted) an iguana up on the side wall and is running to catch it.

At the side dining room window a big black blur signifies that Blacky is watching an iguana on the back wall.

The white blur is Cappuchina - tearing through the house with Maya in hot pursuit to show her dominance. This blur usually ends with cat cry when Maya takes a swipe.

Open the back door and 3 or 4 furry bodies go out, or come in - a mass of colorful blur, as none of our cats have the same fur.

At night the blur is extended, as the cats run from end to end of the house, playing or chasing each other for fun or to dominate. Usually these blurs end up crashing into dining room chairs. Sometimes the Maya blur flips over the dish of cat food, scattering it all over the floor before she races upstairs.

At bedtime the animals seem to be waiting for some signal from us that it's bedtime. When they detect that signal, they trip over each other trying to get upstairs first. They are all hoping they'll sneak into the bedroom as we enter, but that's a mistake we try hard not to make. Once a cat is under the bed, it's very hard to get it out - it's not worth the effort and the lucky one usually gets to spend the night in our room. At least until I catch the cat looking out the patio door and can round it up before she realizes my intention.