Two of Our Biggest Pleasures in Life: 📖 & 🐱

There are few things in life that I love as much as books, and one of those things is cats. Because there is nothing more relaxing than having your cat curled up on your lap and a book in your hand. Above is my beautiful Luna Bug. I'm sad to say we lost her on May 15th. She was 13 years old and such a huge part of our family.

We adopted her from a shelter right before we got married. She was such a great cat. Aubrey could do no wrong in her eyes. She would pick her up and drag her around, and Luna just went limp in her arms. Here is a pic of them right after her Tonsil surgery last summer. Aubrey took it pretty hard. Heck, we all did.

Our house was so empty after we put her down. We will never be able to replace her, but that didn't stop us from going to the shelter the very next day to adopt a new kitty, Pixie. A few weeks later we went back and adopted Nimbus, a little boy kitty she used to get along with there.

Pixie is about 6 months and Nimbus is about 4 1/2 months. They are older than Luna was when we got her, but they are also already fixed and that's a huge plus. We love them so much Already

These cats are so spoiled. Lol. Here they are playing with one of their new toys. Nimbus seems more impressed with it than Pixie. #kittensofinstagram #cuties #carboncountyfriendsofanimals

A video posted by April Haug (@philiafelice) on Jun 21, 2016 at 6:01pm PDT

I hope to one day have both of them cuddled up on my lap with my kindle in hand, but they are a little too feisty for that right now. As you can see in my video above. lol. We are so in love. They are a pain in the ass for sure, but worth every minute. :)

We aren't the only ones who added a kitty to the family...

I, too, love to have a kitty curled up on my lap or on my feet or even just next to me when I'm reading. Cats don't require much but they are a constant comfort.

We got Kitty Katniss for Katie for Christmas two years ago. She was a rescue kitty from the SPCA; they'd found her abandoned in an apartment and named her, ugh, Felina. If you'll remember, Katie had previously named her Buttercup, but that name just did not fit her.

Especially now. Since we moved to a more rural area at the end of last year, Katniss has decided she really, really loves the outdoors. It might have something to do with all of the other kitties that make the area their home, from the neighbors' cats to the feral ones we've seen roaming around. Plus, I saw her chase a dog off our property one day. Katniss is a much more fitting name.

Katie was so sad when I told her that April and Aubrey's kitty had passed because she loved seeing their pictures of her on Instagram and saying, "Oh, she looks just like our kitty!" And it's true. Katniss is only a little over three years old, but they looked a lot alike. I can't imagine how devastating it was for April and her family to have to put their kitty down. :*(

Anyway, a few weeks ago, we went to visit my parents for Father's Day and discovered that my parents' recent rescue cat had just given birth to a litter of six kittens. The poor thing herself couldn't have been over six months old when she wandered up to their house, and they didn't immediately know that she was pregnant. They call her Ricky, short for Ricochet because she's a hellcat, running around their house and bouncing off of things left and right.

So, anyway, of course Katie wanted to take one home with us. Good thing they were only a few days old and weren't near weaning off of their mama. :P But that didn't stop Katie. She's a real negotiator. She promised so much in order to get a kitten of her own. And I was this close to saying no -- because OF COURSE Jerrod left the decision up to me, even though he wanted no part of it -- until Katie started trying to name the little guy she'd already picked out. And that's when inspiration struck and I said, "WEASLEY!!!" And as you know, once you name something, you're a goner.

The thing is, though, Katie has totally held up her end of the bargain. She really has. She cares for that little guy as if he were her own child. She even rocks him to sleep in her arms...AND HE LETS HER! They have such a bond. It's kind of amazing to watch him follow her around like a puppy and whine when she's in the bathtub or eating and can't play with him. Adorable, too. ;0)

But with all the affection she's giving Weasley, Katniss has kind of become my kitty. Not that I'm complaining; I've always kind of felt like we shared a bond of our own. She's the ultimate kitty: wants to be left to her own devices until she wants attention, which I can totally relate to. And she has always loved curling up with me when I'm settling into a good book. It's like she just knows.

The funny thing that I'm just noticing, though, is that we both named our new additions after Harry Potter creatures (pixies), objects (a broom), and characters (those red-headed mischief-makers). Books, kitties, and Harry Potter are simply LIFE. If it wasn't obvious before, April and I were just meant to be friends. =)

Do you have a kindred spirit in a kitty friend who also loves to cuddle when you're reading? We'd love to hear about them! :D