Irony is when you’re writing a column about the joys of cat ownership while your son is yelling, “Thor, no! Thor, don’t poop there! Oh my gosh, look at all that poop on the rug! What are you, a dog?”

Even the sweetest of kitties can sometimes behave like an undomesticated wildcat.

Over the years Milo, our svelte tuxedo cat, and Thor, our tubby tabby, have developed quite a devoted fan following. At a recent book-signing event, several folks asked for a State of the Cats update. Honestly? The State of the Cats is, currently, spoiled.

I recently purchased an indoor water fountain for them. The purchase was necessitated by hairballs. Milo hacked up a few, which is unusual for him. I worried he wasn’t drinking enough water.

Thor has long-preferred running water from our bathroom faucet over the stale water in his bowl. Every morning he follows me into the bathroom and hops up on the counter to sip from the sink. Have I mentioned Thor is rather bulky and our counter rather small?

So, I bought them a fountain featuring freshly filtered continuously running water. Sam, 16, assembled it and set it up on the basement floor.

“Uh, Mom,” he said. “Did you notice it kinda looks like a toilet?”

He was right, but both cats took to it with gusto. As usual, Thor exhibits more gusto than necessary, preferring to place his mouth and tongue directly on the spigot, while Milo laps delicately from the reservoir.

I’m not alone in wanting my cats to have nice things. According to the American Pet Products Association, last year Americans spent $60.28 billion on the care, feeding, grooming and entertainment of their pets.

My splurge on the water fountain seems to have paid off because we haven’t seen a hairball since it was installed. This is great because Milo’s sneezes provide more than enough grossness for us to deal with.

No one in our family is allergic to cats, but I’ve long suspected Milo is allergic to us/Cindy Hval, SR Front Porch. More here (subscription required).

Question: Are you allergic to cats?

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